


Chain Reaction (Undertale AU Fanfic)

by A_chan777



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Attempt at Humor, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Inappropriate Humor, M/M, Multi, Other, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2019-11-29 13:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 76,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18223745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_chan777/pseuds/A_chan777
Summary: Frisk has been living in a life of torment. A life she never deserved. All based upon a terrible rumor surrounding her family. In order to prove her innocence, she travels up Mt. Ebbot but ends up falling to the monster realm beneath the mountain. As she travels to make her way back to the surface, she meets many monsters, often befriending them and maybe even forming a little crush on a few. From meeting motherly goat ladies to pun making skeletons, Frisk ends up making a tragic decision in helping a hidden man lost in complete darkness. With his aid, she must travel through various universes for various reasons. Will she ever find her way back home? Will she even want to come home? And will she ever find her true reality? Or the one monster who stole her heart?





	1. The Land Down Under

**Author's Note:**

> Um this is my first story I am posting to AO3, so please forgive me if my story is a little whack. I'd appreciate helpful advice. I'm obviously still learning the ropes around here.

AN: Before I begin this fanfic, I'd like to present a disclaimer. Undertale belongs to the rightful owner of TobyFox, not to me. I, like many others, only bask in the vast expansion of imagination and trials that UT has given us. On that note, I would like to ask my readers to please be patient with upcoming chapters. Also, I'd appreciate it if ya'll would respect my stories. We all have our own imagination to these multiverses, correct? Oh! And one more thing, I do tend to put in lots of detail, and I'm sorry in advance if that bores people. Though, in all honesty, I personally enjoy it. It gives more to the imagination. Let's see, what else? Ah, that's right! My story may seem innocent at first, but down the road, this story may turn into something sensitive to certain readers. When those chapters arrive, I promise to leave a warning before the chapter begins. Alright, I believe that is enough for now. I hope you all enjoy! Ah! I forgot! One more important thing: If you see words spoken ~~like this~~ , it's Gaster speaking. If the words are **like this** , it's Chara. On to the story!

What do you see when you look in a mirror? You'd expect to see your reflection, right? Of course, that is what I see too. An average young woman standing with long, mid-back, length chestnut brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail boring holes into the glassy image of myself with hazel green eyes. Today I wore a simple faded blue jean with a blue long sleeve shirt, adorned with a few thick horizontal stripes of purple across my chest. Though my face wasn't as colorful as my attire today. I had a new scar on my neck: A thin slice of about an inch in length. _It should be healed by the end of the week, maybe._ I would keep telling myself, though I knew it wouldn't matter. A tiny scar like this is nothing to the countless scars of cigar burns embedded into my legs and forearms. Yes, it is a very childish thing to hide my scars underneath my clothing. Though, I have no one to turn to. No friends. No family. School is no help. I am literally a figment of their imagination and to be completely honest, I would rather keep it that way.

A deep sigh escaped my breath as my gaze softened once aimed at my reflection. I stood in my bedroom, staring at my double door sliders leading to my closet. Both doors shone with mirrors, painted onto the doors in order to reflect my room. Or, what is left of my room. An orphan doesn't exactly get much when her 'father' is a wonky drunk who walks with two left feet. _I'm glad he isn't my real father.._ Another sigh escapes as I blink slowly at my reflection. Slowly, I stood closer to my left mirror, placing my left hand gently against the reflection. _No matter what. It is still you...Frisk._ A name that was given to me. Not exactly my true name. Though it is one I prefer to hear being spoken. For with that name, I became friends with someone. Multiple someones. Though, it was many years ago. I wish I could remember who they were. All I ever get when I look into my reflection are two silhouettes: One tall while the other short, though possibly an inch or two taller than my own height. I don't remember their hair or faces. Just...their being. _What if it was only a dream? What if what people have said are...true? Did I really kill my father and brother?_

That must be the one thing about rumors. They will _always_ be terrible, but sometimes, they are true. But only if you make them true. Lately, I had been thinking about these kinds of things. It really ticks my old man off by a long shot. He hates it when I try to speak my mind. I suppose that is why I tend to stay quiet. Invisible, if it were possible. Though, I don't know how much longer I can take of all of these rumors and abuse. Everyday I'm tormented for the smallest things. I'm not even allowed to cry or apologize for the simplest mistakes. I'm only allowed to do, or get punished for not doing. All I want is a friend or two. But am I even allowed to want anymore? Is it selfish of me to desire such a thing? _One thing is for certain. I must find a way to prove my innocence._ My hazel green eyes drift to the small black backpack resting at the edge of my tiny bed. I had been planning this for a month now. A hint of fear and excitement rushed through my reflection as my eyes scanned the room for the clock. It is 2 in the morning. I could already hear my foster father's drunken snores in the living room next to me. Returning my sight to my reflection once more, I nodded to myself as I whispered to my image. "Alright, 'Felicia'. It's time to go and find Chara. Let's prove them wrong."

With a new sense of determination, I left my reflection and my hidden memory of two figures and swiped my little black backpack, swinging it over my shoulder quickly. Flicking my bedroom light switch off and closing my door quietly, I tiptoe through the living room, feeling my heart beat with a fearful rush as I watched my drunken father snore loudly in his broken recliner. Gulping a heavy lump in my throat, I somehow find my way to the front door, twisting the rusted doorknob ever so slowly as I take one foot out the door. And then the other. Followed by another slow movement of shutting the door. I sigh hesitantly as I grew thankful for our broken security light over the front door. _Thank God he never fixed it._ Finding the courage to continue my quest, I started walking away down the street and made my way up north, towards Mount Ebbot.

As rumors had spread years ago, I had learned that 'apparently', my brother Herald and I had been experimented on by our biological father. He had a lab near the summit of Mount Ebbot. I don't know what his experiments were for, or if they were even real. No one honestly knew. But based on the rumors, there was a huge explosion that had engulfed my father and brother. I was the only survivor. _Lucky me, huh?_ I was probably 6 years old back then. Taking the dirt path up towards the mountain, I readjusted the backpack on my shoulder and continued my stride through the dark wilderness. _Maybe if I find the remains of the lab, I could find something to prove I didn't murder them? I guess at this point, I can only hope... But.. What if I find nothing? What if this was all a bad idea?_ My thoughts and worries jumbled up as my path rose higher, leading me closer to the summit. Suddenly, I stop in my tracks, fear stricken upon my already pale face. "W..What will father do if I come back? H..He will hurt me again...M-maybe even worse this time....." Quivering in my steps, I turn to look back to the dirt path, overlooking the city I had just walked away from. All I could see now were trees and specks of light here and there. It was probably past 4 in the morning now. How long had I been walking? Should I have left a note for father? No. That would have only made things worse. Turning my gaze back to the summit, I inhale a sharp breath before continuing on my journey once again. There is no time for worrying now. What's done is done. It is too late to turn back now.

An hour must have passed since I had last looked at my watch. I could already see the sky changing colors. The stars have begun fading out of sight. _I better hurry._ Though, my idea of running was soon a pitiful choice seeing as how the moment I began to run, I had instantly slipped on a puddle of mud, causing me to slide onto my backside with a large thud and my body flown through various bushes into an adjacent path far from the trail. Using my quick thinking, I did my best to grab a hold of large twigs or rocks I may have slid by. Luckily, I did manage to find a large boulder to grasp. Though my legs on the other hand had unfortunately begun to dangle over a large gaping hole in the ground. "W-what the?!" I gasp loudly, tightening my hold on the boulder. _W-where the heck did this come from? Where did the path go?!_ Unfortunately to add to my troubles, being covered completely in mud only made things worse. My grip on the boulder held no significance as my fingers began to slip, causing me to dive face first into the giant hole, screaming loudly as I plummeted into the darkness.

"Nn…..nn?" I groan softly, opening my eyes to the single beam of light which shone on my eyes. "W..Wha?" My broken voice asked to no one in particular as my eyes tried to adjust to the surroundings. Finding the urge to lift myself up into a sitting position, I realized I had fallen down the large hole from earlier. And somehow ended up lying down in a bed of yellow flowers. _Did these grow here? Just how long have I been passed out? O-ow!_ I hissed in pain as I began to rub my backside. Pain surged through my hip and spine. It must have been from the fall. Glancing back up to the only source of light, I blinked in confusion at the current predicament. _How...did I survive such a steep fall?_ "Howdy!" A small and cheerful voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing my attention to a lone slightly taller yellow flower, which smiled back at me with glee. Literally smiled at me. The flower had a face and it was speaking to me. Chuckling at the shocked look on my face, the flower-creature-thing continued to speak. "Golly, you must be really confused about where you are, huh? Allow me to introduce myself! I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower!" Well, that was certainly obvious. Also, why did the flower's voice sound like a young boy? I tilted my head, blinking once at the talking flower. "U-um n-nice to meet you? I-I'm Fel……………...F-Frisk. My name is Frisk." There is no way I feel comfortable telling a figment of my imagination my real name.

"Well, howdy there, Frisk! You're a human, right? Hehe, well listen here, human girl. You've fallen into the Underworld. This is our realm. The monster realm." The flower explained, waving his little tiny leaves around a bit. "Wait, monsters?" I questioned him, raising an eyebrow at the creature. "Aren't you a little cute to be a monster?" For a split second, I caught a red line breezing across the little flower's face before he shook his petals in slight annoyance. _Heh. Looks like someone is embarrassed at being called cute._ "I-I am not cute, human. Ahem! A-anyway, you need to take care of yourself down here. Many things many be lurking around to get chya! So, I'm going to do what I can to help you out!" I stood up slowly, interested in the flower's explanation. "You don't even know me. Why are you so eager to help me?" I asked. Flowey's smile grew an inch, "Because you need a friend and I am more than willing to help! Let's begin, shall we?"

All of a sudden a strange barrier in the shape of a box formed around me, penetrating me from leaving the flowerbed. Add to that, I gasped in pure shock as a glowing red beating heart appeared from my chest, floating in front of me full of life and determination. "H-huh?!" Chuckling at my obvious confusion, the talking flower began to speak. "You see that heart there? That is your soul. It will move with your body wherever you go. But don't try crossing the border. You're not allowed to pass it. Now, the monsters down here are hostile, understand? You will get hurt. But don't worry! I'm here to help, remember?" Instantly these tiny white things came floating above the talking flower, twirling around in jittery patterns. "These," He continues, "Are called Friendliness Pellets! They will help protect you from the terrifying monsters! Go on, catch 'em all!" He sent them towards me slowly. However, I couldn't just sit still after such a strange explanation. Especially from someone that I had just met and not entirely sure if I could trust. Stepping aside cautiously, I earned myself a glare from the little yellow flower. "Uh..Y..You missed 'em. H-heh. Don't worry! We'll try again!" And like so, he created a new batch of pellets, aiming them straight for me and increasing speed as they flew right at me. Once again, I dodged the white sparks. This, unfortunately, made the flower angry.

His face twisted into a disgusting monstrosity, spitting at me with every word he chanted. "Damn it!" He began. "Just hit the damn bullets already!" I gasped in shock at his words. "B-Bullets?" He blinked, forgetting what he just accidentally said. "W-what? Uh." His face returned to the 'kind' look of the flower I met before. "I-I didn't say that. Pellets! Heh. Y-you know...… Ugh you know what?" He asked, his face returning to the disgusting mask once more. "I don't care anymore. Down here, it's KILL OR BE KILLED." Suddenly a wave of his white bullets surrounded me, leaving me no where to run to. "DIE!" He cackled in laughter as he brought the bullets closer to me slowly, taunting my presence with each moment they drew near. I looked around desperately, looking for any sort of flaw in the barrier around me, but to no avail. However, there was one thing that caught my attention. The sound of fire drawing near. Looking back up to the cackling evil flower, I gasped in surprise as a flame the same size as the flower zoomed by, catching the evil weed, and tossing him away from my sight. "My goodness!" An older, female, voice entered after the flame, bringing my attention to the owner of her voice.

Glancing up, I noticed the voice belonged to a female, at least I believe it is, goat monster. She stood probably up to 6 feet, covered from head to toe in white puffy fur and wore a long purple gown with a beautiful white design of three triangles and a set of wings placed at each side of a circle above the three triangles. In a sense, she kinda looked like a priestess with the purple outfit. The goat woman walked over to me, causing me to gasp in fear and push my body away from her. She held up her hands in front of her, proclaiming her disinterest in a battle. "I'm not here to harm you. I give you my word, chil- oh my. You're older than a normal child, are you not? If you don't mind me asking, how old are you, dear?" I gulped at her kind voice before finding the courage to speak. "I-I just...turned 20 last week, m-ma'am." "Ma'am?" She relaxed her hands, paws?, to her sides, giggling with pleasant joy. "Oh, child, I'm much older than to be known as a 'ma'am', heheh." She knelt down in front of me, her presence evaporating the barrier around me as she drew closer. I looked at her carefully as she extended a paw towards me, offering to help me up. "Forgive my sudden intrusion, dear. My name is Toriel. I am the caregiver of these Ruins." Blinking in confusion, I looked up at her, "Ruins?" She nodded once before replying. "Yes, that is right. You are currently in the Ruins of the Underworld. I had overheard your conversation with that...disturbing creature. I must apologize for his actions. If I were here sooner, I could have prevented your interaction with such a fowl creature."

This...woman. She had a protective and motherly vibe about her. Something I had never had in....well honestly, I don't remember ever having a mother. When I was very young, my brother would tell me that our mother died while giving birth to me. I was lucky to be alive. Though, I've been told that she was my first 'victim', as it were. But this woman, this monster. Toriel. She didn't want to harm me. It was quite the opposite, in fact. _I'm not use to such kindness. W-what do I do? Can I trust her? Well..compared to that talking flower, she hasn't tried to kill me so far. And from the sounds of it, she knows more about these Ruins than that flower, possibly._ Though I was reluctant, eventually I reached up, accepting her paw to lift me up to stand with her. "Thank you, Miss Toriel. My name is..Frisk."I was still a bit hesitant about my fake name. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice my hesitation. With a nod, she turned her heel and pointed forward. "Allow me to guide you through the Ruins, my child."

To be completely honest, I was thinking these Ruins would have been small. But apparently, they were much bigger than I expected. As I followed behind the goat woman, she explained to me how often I may come across various monsters. She taught me the basics of a safe approach against an encounter with a monster. _From the sounds of it, monsters themselves don't actually want to fight anyone. If anything, they are more scared of me, than I am of them. It's starting to make sense now. I'm something they never expected to see. Of course they would be hostile towards me. It's only best for me to treat them as I would like to be treated._ Add to that, the Ruins is overflown with puzzles everywhere. From the simple 'press the button to proceed' to 'follow the correct path'. I asked her why there are puzzles in the Ruins and Toriel would reply that back in the day, monsters were afraid of humans lurking through their homes. In order to deter the humans from their path, monsters would create puzzles to distract them and maybe make them lose their focus. It's actually quite a formidable strategy! Though now that I think about it..

"Miss Toriel, am I the first human to pass through here?" I asked. Toriel stopped in her tracks, stunned by my curiosity. "A-ah.. No, my child. You are not. There have been others before you. All children younger than you." She answered, a sense of sadness in her tone of voice. "So it's possible I could meet the other humans then?" I walked up to her. Looking at her carefully, I noticed a frown on her face. "Ah... I'm...not entirely sure, my child. Beyond these Ruins, it's far more dangerous, I assure you." She then shook her head as she led us into a long hallway. At the entrance, she turned towards me with a smile. "I know this may seem sudden, but if you could just walk down this path by yourself for me, please? I'll be back with you shortly." Before I could reply, she hastily walked down the path, quickly disappearing from my sight. _Why would she want to leave me so quickly?_ None the less, I did as she requested and made my way down the long hallway.

There wasn't anything to fear when walking down the path. It was a straight shot from one end to the other. Easy peasy. That is, until I heard something strange behind me. ~~What are you doing here?~~ It was a voice, I think. I stopped walking to look around. Was it coming from the shadows or one of those Froggit's I met earlier? But it wasn't croaking like they do. ~~You can hear me? Interesting...~~ I couldn't make out the words. It sounded like a jumbled mess. But, if I tried listening carefully, I could hear a hint of a male voice. It kinda sounded like it was difficult for him to speak. "H...Hello?" It was risky for me to ask this invisible person, but I had to be sure I wasn't going mad. And so, I tried again. "I-Is...someone there? Um..." It did not take long for the sound to return. ~~Yes. I can hear you....Frisk.~~ I gasped softly. _Was....Was that...my name? No. No way. But...it sounded like my name. Am I losing it?_ Feeling a new sense of fear rush through me, I quickened my pace and speed-walked through the rest of the hallway, passing by a single ornate pillar on my left as I approach the exit. "Good job, my child! I am most impressed!" Toriel's voice startled me in my trek, causing me to jump and turn to her in shock. She giggled innocently at my reaction. "Oh! I am sorry, my child! I did not mean to scare you. I was simply hiding behind this pillar. I know my request was a little odd, but I wanted to see if you were able to abide by my request. And you did. Thank you, my child." I chuckled breathlessly at her words, "O-oh. Um I-it's okay, Miss Toriel." She approached me, placing a paw on my shoulder gently. "I have only one more request to ask of you. If you could, would you please wait here for me? The puzzles up ahead are much more difficult to complete by yourself and I would like to attend to them before you arrive to my home." I blinked, confused by her explanation. "You sure? I could just come with you." I offered, earning a shake of her head as a response. "No. I don't want to risk you getting hurt. Just stay here and I will return. Oh! And here, use this." She handed me a cute silver cell phone. It looked a few years old, but still manageable in use. It was also fully charged and had her phone number listed as the first contact. "If you have any questions or anything, give me a call. I will return as soon as possible." She waved to me as she walked through the exit of the hallway.

Minutes ticked by as I lounged next to the pillar, playing with the contents of my new phone. There were a couple of games on the device, a camera function and chat or call options for my contacts, which only held Toriel's number at the moment. Out of my boredom, I took a picture of a few monsters that had passed by, a couple of them smiling back or waving as I took the photo. I even had enough time to snap a pic of the pillar I leaned up against. However my boredom quickly consumed me as I would sometimes walk from one end of the long hallway and then back. I pondered over calling Toriel, but I figured it would be a waste of time. Besides, she had things to do. I sighed deeply as I looked at the time for the fifth time. _How much longer?_ ~~Frisk.~~ I gasp, sitting up instantly as I heard a distorted male voice whisper my name once again. "O-oh great. Not again..." I gulped, looking around and then to my phone, seriously considering calling Toriel for help. Though before I had the chance to select her name, a series of strange symbols flashed on my screen before quickly forming a legible sentence reading: ~~Find the grey door. Decipher my speech. I wish to speak with you, Frisk. I will be waiting. Signed, Dr. W.D. Gaster.~~ I raised an eyebrow at the strange message. "W.D....Gaster?" I spoke with curiosity as I heard the distorted male's voice echo around me in a gentle but slightly strange cackle of laughter as my response. Gulping once more, I stood up from my spot next to the pillar and decided to rush out of the exit. _If Toriel can get through these puzzles, so can I!_

Okay so rushing through all of these puzzles may have been a bit of a risky choice. But I was determined to move forward. Besides, what good would it have been for me to keep sitting there? Toriel could have forgotten about me. As for these puzzles, they actually weren't too bad. Yes, there were some that made me literally fall through the floor, but not without good intentions. I even found a few nice items to help me along my way! See? I just needed to stay positive. Oh, speaking of positivity, I ran into a ghost. Okay, 'ran into' is definitely not my right choice of words. He was sleeping in a pile of leaves and I had to pass him. Though I didn't want to interrupt him. Unfortunately, I had managed to wake the sleeping ghost, who I learned his name was Napstablook, and ended up in a battle with him. He, like many other monsters I have met in the Ruins, did not really want to fight me. In fact, it seemed more like he just needed a friendly word or two. He kept crying ectoplasmic tears, even as I tried comforting him. Eventually I had gotten him to create a pretty nifty top hat for his head. I actually loved it and even congratulated him for having such talent. He seemed very shy but happy at my applause and finally faded away for me to continue my journey. _I hope I get to see him again. He seems like such a nice ghost._

After a few more trails to pull through, I had eventually made it to a simple home, standing behind a large bare tree, with all of its red leaves fallen around the trunk of the tree. "I wonder if this is the place?" I mumbled to myself as I readjusted my black backpack over my shoulder. I took a few steps closer to the tree before I had noticed a second set of footsteps approaching in haste. "How could I have forgotten the time?!" Toriel's voice caught my attention. She must have been behind the tree. "Perhaps I should call her to apolo- Oh!" She walked around the tree, her phone in her paw as she spoke to herself. Though once she saw me, she ran over to me instantly, pulling me into a tight embrace, which completely caught me off guard. "Oh, my child! I am so sorry! I lost track of time while cleaning and well...wait, did you make it through all of those puzzles by yourself?" I nodded, smiling proudly at her stunned expression. She chuckled, astonished, and pulled away to place her hands on her hips in approval. "Well, I'll be. You must be tired, my dear. How about you go take a bath? My restroom is being renovated, but I cleared up most of the mess and presented you with fresh hot water. I'm sure after your fall and trekking through the entire Ruins has made you weary. I'll also wash your clothes for you." She spoke with warm words as her smile grew. "After your bath, you can have a nice fresh slice of Cinnamon Butterscotch pie! Uh do you like cinnamon butterscotch?" My eyes grew wide with excitement as I nodded extatically. Toriel's laughter rang around us as my own smile grew with her own. "Come on then. I will show you to your room, my child."

Toriel's home was very cozy. Pictures and décor echoed in the halls and corners of each room, giving a pleasant warmth of color in a naturally bland room. Seeing as how I am new to her home, Toriel gave me a quick tour of her home. From the left of the front door led to the living room and kitchen. To the right of the door, led straight to a hall of a handful of doors. My room is the first on the left, followed by the renovating restroom and after that was Toriel's bedroom. _I wonder why she already has a guest room? Is it natural for her to have company into her home?_ I resisted the urge to ask my question, seeing as how inviting she already was. Leading me towards the restroom, Toriel opened the door, kicking away a broom and dustpan from the side before flicking on the light switch and granting me access to the room. There was nothing special about the restroom. It was the typical toilet, sink, mirror and bathtub complete with a shower head. If anything, the only real spark of color only came from the purple shower curtain ordained with little yellow flowers. With a warming smile, I turn towards Toriel, "Thank you so much for this, Miss Toriel. I'll have to figure out how to repay you for this." She laughed at my remark, patting my shoulder gently. "There really is no need, my child! Now, I'll have the pie ready in just a few moments. I also have your bath ready for you. Go ahead and relax while I deal with our dessert, alright?" My smile grew, already eager for some delicious pie! "Yes, ma'am!" I giggled along with her as I had watched her leave the restroom, giving me privacy to undress.

 _I wonder what my father is doing right now.. Would he be angry for leaving like this? It's probably been 6 or 7 hours since I left. He's most definitely awake by now. Did he call the cops on me?... Was this..even a good idea?_ My doubts had returned as I began to undress. I had already tested the water in the bathtub with my hand, satisfied with the temperature. But my thoughts trailed into worry as I lifted my blue and purple stripped shirt over my head, letting it fall from my fingertips to the tiled floor at my feet. I stared at my reflection once again for the day, boring holes into the cigar burn marks on my forearms with a pale grimace on my face. A sigh lingered from my lips as I jumped, startled a bit as Toriel opened the bathroom door, stepping in with a bundle of towels and clean clothing. "Oh! Forgive me, my dear. I found some clothes that might be about your.....size..." Her words slowed to a halt as she noticed my forearms, of which I had tried hiding behind my back. "U...Uh..." I avoided eye contact with her as she closed the door behind her, setting the towels and clothing on the sink before approaching me cautiously. "May I...May I see that...please?" She held out a paw towards me and even though I was reluctant, I hesitantly held out my left arm to her.

Silence filled the small room between us as Toriel examined each scar and burn mark embedded into my skin. There have been too many to count over the years. Some were recent, others from probably ten or so years ago. All usually given to me for the same reason: Existing. It was all he ever complained about to me. I was his burden. Having me in his custody never helped anything. The only 'real good thing' about having me around was the fact that I cooked, cleaned. Maintained the household, basically, while he 'worked'. Though, honestly, my father's kind of work would never be enough to pay for either of us. But I never complained. Just the fact that I was alive was enough for me to see a new day. Or, at least, that was what I kept telling myself. But after living each day, hearing the painful rumors of my possible actions of death towards my biological family... Well, my positive nature in life was beginning to waver. _I wonder.. Can Toriel tell that it wasn't a monster that had done this to me?_

"My child..." She began, kneeling down next to me, covering my left hand with both of her paws, looking up at me with deep concern in her eyes. "I need you to tell me the truth. Who did this to you? I know all of the monsters that lurk down here in the Ruins. None of them use....cigars. These _are_ cigar burns, correct?" I nod slowly in response. She gulped before continuing, "Please, my child... Who did this to you?" I felt my heart tighten as I looked back into her concerned eyes. My lips quivered lightly as I felt my eyes fill with water, as a lone tear broke free, rolling down my cheek to drip onto her furry paw silently. I answered with a weak voice. "...M....My father..." I blinked away another tear as I saw her own eyes reflect the same pain as my own. In one swift movement, I instantly felt her larger frame pull me into a furry and warm embrace. An odd and foreign feeling washed over me and I looked around the room uncomfortably. No doubt, she could sense my hesitation in her actions. Therefor, she pulled away gently, though kept her paws on my shoulders softly. "Frisk, my child. Heh...Take your bath. I will prepare a bed for you. And in the morning, I will see what I can do to fix your scars on your arms." She spoke in a motherly voice. A tone of voice I had never heard of. This was all too different for me. I...I am afraid to accept such a thing into my life. _This monster. This...woman. Do I deserve such kindness?_ My thoughts recalled her words as she stood up and began to turn towards the bathroom door, preparing to leave as I quickly spoke up. "What about the ones on my legs?" My question caused her to stop in her steps, looking over at me in shock. "....He...Did he....harm your legs as well, my child?" I frowned lowly, my stare giving her the only response she needed to understand my frustration. She nodded after a long silent moment of thought.

However our moment of silence quickly dissipated as a knocking sound could be heard throughout the house. I blink curiously at Toriel's shocked expression. "I-Is it that time already?! Oh my. I must have left him standing there for too long. U-uh. Frisk, my child. I will tend to your injuries in the morning but for now, take your bath and relax, a-alright? Um. A-and please....don't go down stairs." With a nervous chuckle, Toriel quickly dashed out of the restroom, leaving my confused stare to linger in the room. "Huh?" Was all I could say as I heard her footsteps quicken in the distance. _Was she expecting company? She said 'he'. Maybe she has a boyfriend? Though the sound didn't come from the front door. It sounded a bit more distant. Hm..._ Shaking my head from the thoughts running in my mind, I decide to comply to Toriel's request, and continued to undress before stepping into the hot bath water.

 **In the basement**  
"knock knock." A male voice could be heard from behind a tall, thick purple double door. His voice sounded deep and bored. A few minutes ticked away before he spoke against from the door. "uh, lady? ya there?" He asked, knocking his fist against the door once again. "Y-Yes!" Toriel's voice entered from the long hallway as she had dashed to the purple door, huffing in her stride as she kneeled against the door. "H-heh. F-forgive me, my friend. I uh..was preoccupied. Ahem. Now then. Who's there?" She asked the door.

The male voice behind the door waited for a moment before he chuckled in reply. "armageddon." He spoke. Toriel smiled, already guessing what the answer will become. "Armageddon, who?" She asked. "armageddon a little bored over here. what's going on? burnin' down the house, lady?" He asked. She replied in a hearty chuckle. "No no! Not of the sort, my friend! I was just...busy is all." Nervous hesitation was obvious to be heard from her voice as she spoke. This, he could definitely catch on. Silence was his answer before he spoke once again from the large doors. "ya sure, lady? we are friends. you can tell me if you're having a problem." Another soft chuckle escaped the goat woman before she sighed, resting her head against the door frame with a gentle thud. "....Things will never change....will they?... He is still taking their souls?" A grunt and sigh could be heard from the opposite side before the male voice answered, "....yeah... it's all we have to hope for, right? you want out too, don't chya lady?" Toriel could only sigh a deeper sigh this time.

She knew the trails she and the other monsters must face each day. Life was a struggle underneath Mount Ebbot. Survival was painful and hopes were always shattered with ease. But she knew of the one way to break free of this taunting chain of events, yet even so, she could never bring herself to commit to such responsibility. That would probably be the reason why Toriel left the city. _Yet..Even so.. That girl. Frisk... Who could harm such a gentle child? I saw that bag on her back she carried. She planned on coming here. She must have a reason. But... Oh God.. I don't know if I can take care of her. I couldn't even save my own children..._ "My friend.." She spoke softly to the door, earning a deep 'huh?' in reply. "I have a favor to ask of you..."

 **Back upstairs**  
"Mmm!" Yawning loudly as I stretch in front of the mirror of the restroom, I grin to my reflection, running my fingers through my long damp hair with a soothing giggle. _I can't believe the water here is soooooo much better than back home! And she even had some kind of scent added to it too! I wonder what it was? Lavender or something? Well, whatever it was, I loved it! My body feels so refreshed now!_ Yawning once more with another stretch of my arms over my head, I put the now damp towels into a pile, along with my dirty laundry, and fixed the hem of the similar blue and purple stripped blouse I now wore with the knee length dark blue skirt swaying with my movements. With a turn in my step, I gathered the bundle of wet cloths into my arms and left the restroom with a welcoming smile.

After flicking off the restroom's light switch, I entered the hallway to be welcomed with Toriel's warm laughter. Glancing to my right, I echoed her grin with my own as she approached me from the stairway. "Well, now. Don't you look clean and happy?" She winked playfully at me, causing me to giggle in a childish manner. "Thanks to you, Miss." Toriel shook her head as she approached me. "I told you! Enough with the over use of manners. Though I'm glad humans up above still use manners, you are coating it a bit thick with me. Heheh." I shrugged lightly as I handed her the bundle of clothing. "I didn't know where you would like me to bring these." "Oh!" She chuckled, accepting the clothing from my hands. "I will handle it, my child. Go on into the living room. I have a slice of pie waiting for you with a glass of milk. I hope you like chocolate." My eyes grew with excitement as I nodded eagerly. "Thank you!" I chanted as I dashed for the living room, overhearing Toriel's heart warming laughter as I run after the quest of a loving meal.

In less than ten minutes, I had finished eating the slice of pie and drank the entire contents of chocolate milk. I leaned against the back of my chair, a drunken grin plastered upon my face as a tiny chuckle escaped my throat. "This must be a dream." I mumbled with my grin growing. "Heheh. Now why do you say that? Do humans not have pie or chocolate milk up on the surface?" Toriel asked, looking at me with a smile from her comfy recliner. She was holding a large book titled '52 secrets of Snail life'. I glanced over at her, my drunken smile never fading, "No no. We do have those. But your cooking is the best I have had in years! I'm always the one cooking at home. It's been forever since I had someone else cook for me. Heh. I feel like I don't deserve such kindness." I replied happily. Even though I noticed a flash of remorse in Toriel's eyes, she still reflected a kind smile my way before closing her book. "Come now, it's late. I have your bed made out for you, my child. Time for bed." I giggled lightly as I nodded in agreement.

The bedroom Toriel had set out for me was the first door on the left in the hallway. There was one bed pulled to the right of the room along with a toybox filled with dusty toys, a wardrobe presenting itself filled with clothing very similar to my own and a desk with a cute lamp in the corner of the room. It looked like it belonged to a child. Especially with all of the toys in the toybox. _Why are they all dusty?_ Shaking the thought from my head, I walk over to the bed and pull the covers over my head as I watched Toriel walk over to the lamp on the desk, turning off the light for me. In a motherly fashion, she walked over to me and kissed my forehead gently. "Goodnight, my child." She whispered tenderly as she made her way out the door, closing the door with a gentle click of the lock. I let my mind reminisce over the events of the day. So many things had happened. I finally ran away from home to climb Mount Ebbot to prove my innocence. "Ah..That's right. I fell down here by accident. I lost my path while traveling to the lab's remains..." Frowning deeply to myself, I closed my eyes slowly, taking long steady breaths as my thoughts trailed on about my options.

The next day, I figured it would be best to speak with Toriel about leaving the Ruins. We sat together in the living room, she in her recliner while I sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the fireplace. I had sat my black backpack next to the bookshelf, ready for travel, as was I. Toriel and I ate our breakfast of bacon and eggs, with a side of snail eggs for Toriel, in comforting silence until I spoke up finally. "Miss Toriel, I've been meaning to ask you. Um...how do I get out of the Ruins?" Instantly, she began to frown at my question, folding the top corner of her page from her book of snails before turning her gaze to me. "Why are you interested in leaving, my child?" She asked calmly. "W-well...I can't really say. It's a long story. But...um...me falling down here was an accident. I have to return to the surface." Her frown deepened at my words, "Are you insane, child? You are asking to return to a man who abused you? I get that no matter what, he is still your father, but no man should ever raise a hand to his child. Ever!" I jumped, startled at her raised voice. With a deep sigh, Toriel closed her book, setting it aside on the bookshelf before standing from her seat and making her way towards the stairway. "I...have something to do...it is best for you not to follow me, my child. Go to your room."

 _Well that was unexpected! But I can't just sit and wait. She went downstairs.. I bet that's where the exit is!_ Grabbing my bag with haste, I slung the black straps onto my back and quickly stood up, and dashed down the stairs after her. It did not take long for me to reach her. Toriel was facing a set of tall thick double purple doors, both presenting the same symbol that she wore on her purple gown. _That symbol must have some kind of significance here._ "I told you to go to your room, young lady.." Toriel spoke with a tone I recognized from my foster parent. It was a stern voice of discipline. I gulped once before finding my words, "I-I know but...w-where do those doors lead?" A sigh was my reply from the motherly goat figure. "These doors lead to the exit of the Ruins, my child... I...am going to destroy it." I gasped at her explanation, "W-what? Why?! I need to get out of here!" "And die?!" She shouted back, causing me to jump once again. She was obviously furious at the idea of me leaving, but I can't stay here. I have a life on the surface, no matter how much I despise it. There is still someone up there possibly looking for me. And even more important, I need to find some kind of proof of my innocence. Returning her glare with a determined stance of my own, I spoke to Toriel with confidence in my voice. "I'm sorry, Toriel. But I have to leave. I have no intention of dying today. I just want to get back to the surface." Toriel jolted backward for a split second, as if a literal knife stabbed into her chest by my words. "....As you wish.." With her hands to each of her sides, Toriel summoned balls of fire in the palms of her paws, raising them both above her head in an intimidating manner. "If you truly wish to leave, then fight me!" She shouted, throwing her fire elements straight for me.

My unfortunate battle with Toriel was definitely not satisfying. No battle is ever satisfying, in my eyes. She would constantly demand for me to turn around, return to my room, or to stand and fight me head on. However, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. _This woman, no matter if she is a monster and I'm a human. She offered me a home to rest in, gave me food and even protected me through the Ruins. Why would I ever want to repay her for her kindness by fighting her?_ Huffing deeply as I hid behind a box, I peered over the crate to see Toriel, who was also panting heavily, standing against the double doors. Her paws were to her side as she fought to catch her breath. But what caught my eye the most were her eyes. She was blinking away her tears. _I knew it. She doesn't wanna fight me either. So..why?_ Gulping once before I stood up from my hiding spot, I walk up to the heaving woman, who brought up another fireball to her side. I held both of my hands up in defense as I spoke to her softly. "...G....Goat mom?" She gasped, twitching her paw lightly at my new nickname for her as I continued. "Please, goat mom. I-I wanna go outside. I won't fight you. Ever. Please? I promise to see you again. Really." Her eyes blinked once, allowing a few tears to finally break free. She looked at me with such broken sadness in her eyes before she disabled her magic flames and pulled me into a tight embrace. She sniffled against my neck. I ignored the cool feeling of her tears dripping onto my neck. Instead, I wrapped my arms around her larger frame, returning the hug with a smile. "I-I'm so sorry, my child! I never wanted to harm you!" She bawled into my hair, pulling away slowly to wipe her tears away. "I...Even though I am reluctant to allow this... Y..You are allowed to leave. I can not protect you once you set foot outside of these Ruins. I...I can only hope and pray that he will abide by his promise." I raised an eyebrow at her, looking into her teary eyes with confusion, "Who's promise?" I asked, earning myself a simple shake of her head. "You will soon find out." She replied, standing up to pat me on my head. "Go through these doors, my child. And...please. Don't return... And don't call me. I won't answer." I blinked, once more in added confusion. "W-wait what? B-but." She shook her head once more. "Don't argue with me. Just do as I say. Now, go. Before it gets colder." _Colder?_

I watched in silence as Toriel left my presence, returning to her home in the Ruins as I could only stand in front of the set of double doors, pondering over everything that had happened. After taking a moment to recollect my thoughts, I took in a sharp breath of air before pushing through the set of doors, and walking into the darkness ahead of me. Inside, I walked into a terrain that I had recognized. Darkness surrounding one specific spot of light shining down upon a patch of dirt, grass, and yellow flowers. _This is just like when I fell down here! I wonder... Does that mean I will see that flower again?_ "Tch!" Was my reply to my curiosity. Turning my gaze down to the talking flower from earlier, I sighed once as I approached him. "Hello again, Flowey." I greeted him, earning myself another grunt from the growling flower. "You must think you're soooo great, huh, human? Tch! You will die here. You know that, right?" His face turned into another replica of a distorted grin, mocking me once again like last time. "You will die and all of us monsters will be free to roam the earth and kill every single human up there! Hahaha!" I simply blinked slowly, listening to him rant on about the same thing. Curious of his reaction, I knelt down beside him and patted his yellow petals gently, quickly earning myself a flinch from the creepy flower. But also a blush too. Which was cute. I smile triumphantly at his reaction as he spat at me in disgust. "W-what are you doing, you filthy human?! UGH!" I resisted the urge to laugh at his embarrassment before I reply honestly. "Yeah. I'm a filthy human alright. But I'm also a human who has decided not to hurt any monsters. Including you, Flowey. I don't know why you hate my species so much, but I don't blame you. You're right to hate us. Many of us are terrible and ugly creatures. But not all of us. I can't speak for every single human on the surface, but I can speak for myself. I have no intention of harming anyone down here. All I want to do is get back to the surface and...survive. I'm sorry for you, Flowey. Really. I hope one day, we can become friends." I spoke with a smile. One he was shocked to recognize being shown to him. He growled in a light humph before sinking into the dirt in silence. I sighed softly as I stood back up and waved to the grass. "Bye bye, Flowey. I hope to see you again soon!" I giggled lightly to the patch of dirt before continuing my path to the next set of purple doors.

Upon first touch of these second set, I noticed how freezing the door was. _Is this what Toriel meant by the cold?_ I had already felt a shiver run down my spine as I retracted my fingertips from the door. A quick glance towards the Ruins, and a hesitant thought of running back to warmth, fleeted from my mind one last time before I returned my attention to the freezing set of doors and pulled the doors open. Instantly a wave of frigid air swam around my body, causing my knee-length skirt to sway in constant movement. With hidden courage, I took one step into the snow, followed by my other foot and a large SLAM of the double doors. I turn to glance at the heavy set of doors with a pout on my quivering lips. Sighing softly, I relax my back against the frozen door, quickly regretting my actions of relaxation before I noticed something odd about the snow beneath my feet. _Are those...footprints? They look larger than mine and that pattern. They aren't claws like a monster would have, right? Are those..shoes? No, they are too flat to be boots or sneakers. They would have traction in snow, I think. Just what was standing here? And...wait...if these prints are still here...then that means someone was standing here recently. W-what if they are still around?!_ As fear washed over me, my eyes scanned the area in haste and stopped at a bush to the left of the door. The wind spun around in circles around the bush, causing a little reflection of red to glimmer from the inside of the bush. Blinking curiously, I inch closer to the shrubbery, peeking through the leaves until I noticed a camera flashing its lens at me. "C-Camera?!" I gasped, jumping away from the bush in shock. "N-No way. Who put a camera there?! A-and it's turned on.... Is...Can someone...see me?" I gulped loudly, getting the feeling that someone was watching me. The thought alone was enough to make me turn my heel and face the snowy path before me. _T-There is no way I'm going to stand here and let someone watch me like this! I have to go!_ With a new found sense of determination, if I can call it that, I began kicking the snow in little tuffs as I walked through the snow. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to notice someone staring at me from behind a tree. Looking through his one...blue...eye...


	2. How Punny Are Ya?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now free from the Ruins, Frisk enters a new an odd environment that definitely should not be underneath an entire mountain. Along the way, she meets up with two skeletons! From here, the fun begins~!

"I knew I should have brought a sweater with me on this trip." I groaned to myself loudly as I stomped my feet into the snowy path in front of me. Trees checkered at all sides of my path, leading me to a bridge in the far distance. For a moment of hesitation, I looked back to the set of double doors I had just left from. "I hope she's okay..." In my pocket, I let my fingers trace the silver cell phone Toriel had given me yesterday. Would it be wise to call her? But she did say to not call her. She even said to not come back. Looking sadly away from the door, I sighed once, watching my breath form into a gentle puff of a cloud in front of me, as I continued my stride towards the bridge in the distance. Though, I did happen to stop in my tracks as a semi-large branch blocked my path. It looked old and easy to break in half, but also heavy to lift out of the way. Luckily, the piece of wood was thin enough to just walk over. And so I did. Shrugging lightly, I lifted my feet over the branch and continued walking. _Now that I think of it, just how is it possible for there to be snow underneath the mountain? There are even trees! I wonder if it's magic from the monsters around here?_  
  
SNAP!  
  
Stopping dead in my tracks, I ever so slowly turned around to look for the source of the intense loud sound behind me. I didn't see anyone around. The only thing that caught my eye was... "T...The....branch....b-broke?" My voice quivered as I noticed a footprint in the dead center of the broken branch. It was the same size and detail as the footprints I noticed outside of the purple doors. My hazel green eyes grew wide as I forced my body to return to face my direct path. _S....Someone...IS following me!_ Now that my heart was beating heavily in my chest, I picked up my haste towards the bridge, constantly feeling a lurking dread in the back of my neck. _I'M GONNA DIIIIIEEEEE!!!_ In the entirety of my jumbled and feared mind, I didn't notice the strange gate over looking the bridge, causing me to halt my movements to examine the detail of the structure. "H-huh?" I spoke in a confused tone. _This gate's sign reads 'BEWARE, HUMANS! GOOD LUCK PASSING THROUGH THIS GATE THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAD BUILT TO PENETRATE YOUR PATH! NYEHEHEH!'_ I blinked a few times at the sign before tilting my head up at the large gate towering over the bridge. "Pa...pyrus?" Something about that name just sounds so...strange to me. But why? "human."   
  
I gasped, my eyes growing wider at the deep male voice behind me. How could I have forgotten about the mystery monster following me?! Gulping a thick lump in my throat, I tilt my head an inch as the voice behind me spoke once again, "aren't you going to greet a new pal?" He asked, extending his hand to me. Hesitantly, I turned around, shivering with every movement I made to face this new monster. I couldn't see what he looked like, seeing as how he was covered in the shadows of the clouds above us. _Again, is it made by magic?_ Though, I did take note of his very wide grin and height. He was probably an inch or two taller than me and wore a white T-shirt underneath a large blue winter coat, a pair of black shorts with two thin white stripes on the sides and a set of pink slippers. _Wait, those slippers.. Is he the one who was standing by the purple doors?_ I blinked in embarrassment as I noticed him tapping his left slipper into the snow impatiently, his black fingerless gloved hand still extended, waiting for me to grasp it in a handshake. I chuckled nervously before gulping once more, extending my own hand to greet his, of which he quickly tightened his grip upon my own to produce.....an....unpleasant sound of flatulence.  
  
His grin widened, if possible, at my blushing face after the sound lingered between us. The male stranger retracted his hand, as well as I did quickly, to show me a miniature whoopie cushion strapped to his boney palm. _Woah. wait. His fingers are REALLY bones!_ I looked up at him, seeing the shadows of the cloud disperse to reveal a male skeleton in front of me, chuckling loudly to his embarrassing joke. "heh! the ol' whoopie cushion in the hand trick. it never gets old." He shrugged once before sliding his hand back into his coat pocket. "you're a human, right? heh. that's hilarious." I frowned lightly at his words, feeling my cheeks heat up more with embarrassment before I blew up at him. "Y-You.....that was embarrassing! Why did you do that?!" The skeleton blinked, how?, before laughing loudly at my reaction, "h-heh, what? something wrong with a little joke, kid?" I crossed my arms in reply, turning away in a huff, "I'm not a kid. I'm 20!" He shrugged as he spoke, "still a kid to me. i'm a few years older. you're the same age as my bro, though." This time, I was the one to blink in confusion. "Brother?" He nodded with another shrug.  
  
"yup. anyway, the name's sans. sans the skeleton." He finally introduced himself, his smile never wavering as he watched me. I couldn't help but to stare back into his not too empty eye sockets. It was honestly very interesting to see a living skeleton talking and looking at me like this. _I wonder if he is alive through magic? Even his eyes are just little white pinpricks. Is that magic too?_ It would be a lie if I didn't admit to how interesting Sans was to me. And it wasn't only the idea of him living through magic. There was something about him that was so....familiar. _But that doesn't make sense. This is the first time I've been here....W...wait..._ I frowned at my own thought, feeling something completely wrong about the inner monologue. "ya know, I was actually suppose to be on the lookout for humans. but to be completely honest with ya, I don't care about you being human." Sans mentioned, walking to the side of me towards the bridge. I noticed that as he passed by me, he smelled of ketchup. _This guy gets weirder and weirder._ "now my brother, papyrus, on the other hand, is a human hunting fanatic!" Sans spoke with a chuckle, glancing back to me with his left eye closed in a wink. "if I were you, i'd be careful, kid."  
  
"SANS!" A new male voice joined from the other side of the bridge. Both Sans and I looked over towards the direction of the voice, seeing a tall silhouette marching from a far distance, yelling loudly for Sans. With a bead of sweat slowly cascading down the side of his skull, Sans looked back at me with his smile shortened slightly. "looks like he's on his way over here, kid. wanna meet him?" I gulped, shaking my head a bit, which only made Sans laugh again. "come on, just walk on through the gate. my li'l bro built it too wide for humans to come through. trust me on this." He winked again as he motioned to the bridge. My response was a hushed whimper before I sauntered through the gate, with Sans directly behind me. Together we crossed the bridge and reached an area with a snack stand, or at least that's what I believed it was, and a conveniently shaped lamp standing beside the stand. "quick. get behind that conveniently shaped lamp, kiddo." Sans ordered me, pointing to the lamp itself. "I'm confused. Why are you helping me?" He raised a non-existent eyebrow at my question. A mixed look of shock and confusion on his own skull flashed in reply before he spoke with a shrug. "just trust me on this, kay kiddo?" He spoke with a sincere smile, though for some reason, I felt it was more sarcastic than sincere. With a disapproving frown on my face, I quickly walked over to the lamp, hiding directly behind it while the new, taller, figure approached the area.  
  
"SANS! WHY WEREN'T YOU AT YOUR STATION AGAIN?!" The taller figure barked, almost literally as he stomped his way over here. Carefully peeking around the lamp, I blinked in astonishment at the taller figure. _A-another skeleton? A-and he's so much taller! He must be just over 6 feet! Wait..Sans said this guy is his little brother. My God... 'Little' is an understatement._ The taller skeleton, who I'm guessing is Papyrus, stood so much taller than his older brother. He wore a strange sense of attire: dark tights on his legs, a pair of underwear (why?!), a strangely unique set of armor on his upper torso complete with a long red scarf and red boots. Compared to his brother, Papyrus was much louder with his words and stature. Not only that, and I can't believe I didn't notice this before, but the way they speak. Their text for both Sans and Papyrus were different. Not just in capitalization, or lack there of in Sans' case, but the style was different for each as well. _Wait.. On my father's computer, there was always many options of text to use on his documents. Now that I'm getting a better look... Papyrus' text is exactly the same as the Papyrus text! And Sans...is that...Comic Sans? Why is it like this? My own text is the same as Toriel's and the other monsters from the Ruins. Is it different with skeletons? But wh...w-woah.._ That's right.   
  
Quickly glancing back to that weird message I had received earlier, I re-read the contents quietly as I slightly ignored Papyrus' ranting at his older brother. _Dr. W.D. Gaster? A-and the text flashed from weird symbols before turning into this text too. It's also different from the others. Does that mean this doctor guy is a skeleton too? Hmm...W.D? Ah! What was that funny looking text called again? Windy-something? Ugh! How am I suppose to translate this?!_ "aw, come on, bro. I've done a ton of work today. a 'skele'-ton!" I blinked as a gentle chuckle escaped from my mouth at Sans' pun. _Okay, maybe he is a little funny._ Though I did recognize a chuckle coming from him as well, it quickly got overturned by Papyrus' loud groan of annoyance. "UGGGGH! JUST GET BACK TO YOUR STATION ALREADY, SANS! WE NEED TO PREPARE THE NEXT PUZZLE FOR ANY HUMANS!" And with that, I watched from behind the lamp as Papyrus stormed off down the way he came. Silence roamed about before Sans spoke up. "you can come out now, kid."  
  
Hesitantly, I stuck my head out from behind the lamp, watching Sans watch his brother's form drift away in the distance. "Um.." I mumbled a bit, finally taking the chance to walk up to the shorter skeleton. He only sighed deeply, shaking his head from side to side for a moment before looking at me with a wink. "man, ain't my brother cool?" He spoke with admiration, though for some reason, I caught a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He continued, "he's gonna be working on more puzzles up ahead for you. but uh..i wanna ask ya somethin', kiddo." At this, he turned toward me, looking slightly shy in his movements. "you see, kiddo, my bro has never seen a human before. I was wondering if you could maybe...be soft on him? he's gonna try to capture you. to take you to the capital to the king.." He didn't sound too thrilled by mentioning the king. Sans avoided eye contact with me, most likely lost in thought over something. Just as I was lost in thought over his own actions. _First, he stalks me, then he makes silly jokes, hides me behind a lamp from his brother and now he wants a favor from me to be friends with his brother? Even though Papyrus is on the hunt for humans, like me? I don't know if I can really trust Sans. But..._  
  
I stood still, watching Sans silently before I smiled at the pun-making skeleton. "Chin up!" I spoke with a gentle grin, earning myself a confused 'huh?' from the short skeleton. "I'm not here to fight anyone, Sans. I don't know if he'll become my friend if he's going to capture me, but I'm going to try anyway." He raised a non-existent eyebrow at my words, "such confidence, kid. almost admirable of you." _There is that sarcasm again._ My eyebrow twitched a bit at his remark, though I kept my smile firm in place. "I could almost say the same about you, Sans. Hiding me from your brother? If you wanted me to make a good impression on him, why hide me? Don't you want him to capture me?" Sans only stared at me for a long minute, making me avoid his stare a bit. With a shrug in his step, Sans replied simply, "we'll see, kid." I watched him walk back towards the bridge. "Wait, where are you going?" I asked him. "meet chya up ahead, kid." "H-huh? But you're going the wron-" I sighed, seeing that he had already crossed the bridge and too far to continue listening to me.  
  
Sighing in defeat, I turn back towards the exit of the area and stole a quick glance at Sans' station. There was one stool and a couple of empty bottles of ketchup dug into the snow. _That explains the ketchup smell coming off of him, but why only ketchup bottles? Was he using it for something?_ My curiosity about the joke master skeleton only grew as I lingered by his station. Shaking my head once, I eventually turn towards the way Papyrus had came from. Taking in a deep breath, I walk ahead into the next area. As strange as it was, there was Papyrus....talking to his brother Sans again. _W-wait what?! But I just....h-he was...HUH!?_ Approaching the two skeletons cautiously, I realized that Sans had noticed me approaching, his everlasting grin growing in one corner of his mouth, turning into a taunting smirk. He nudged his head towards his brother, telling Papyrus to glance my way, which caused me to stop dead in my tracks. "HM? SANS! IS THAT A HUMAN I SEE?!" I gulp before Sans replied smugly. "actually, bro, I think that's a rock." _Eh?_ Looking to my left, I indeed saw a rock. …. _This guy...._ "OH." "hey, bro, what's that next to the rock?" I raised an eyebrow at Sans, his smirk growing once again as Papyrus gasped loudly but then 'whispered' to his brother. "IS THAT A HUMAN, SANS?" "yup." "WOWIE! I FINALLY FOUND A HUMAN!!!! AHEM!" With a wave of his red scarf in the wind and a grin of intense confidence, Papyrus pointed to me, "HUMAN! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM HERE TO CAPTURE YOU! PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE COUNTLESS AND DARING PUZZLES MY BROTHER AND I HAVE SET OUT FOR YOU! EH...Y-YOU DO LIKE PUZZLES, RIGHT, HUMAN?" I blinked a few times at his question before I started to smile and nod at him. "Y-yes, I do like puzzles." Grinning triumphantly at my reply, Papyrus began to laugh proudly with his fist against his chest in a heroic manner, "NYEHEHEHE! COME, SANS! WE MUST HURRY BEFORE THE HUMAN REACHES THE FIRST PUZZLE!" And with that, Papyrus dashed ahead of me, his laughter echoing as he ran through the snow.  
  
Walking up towards Sans, I resisted the urge to ask him how he popped up here if he had walked the opposite direction. That is, until Sans spoke up first. "thanks, kiddo." I tilted my head at him. "What do you mean?" I asked. He shrugged lightly as he looked in the direction Papyrus left. "you made my bro happy. he's so excited to catch you.." He sounded a bit sad as he looked over at me, "to be honest with ya, kid... I was a little shocked you...finally did it..." "Finally?" I asked, causing him to frown instantly and turn away, again in the opposite direction, and began to march onward. I sighed softly as I watched him leave. "What did he mean?" ~~He's hiding something from you, Frisk.~~ I gasped loudly, looking all around in the area. "A-again?" I groaned lightly. Though, this might help me a bit. "U-um! I-I have a question for you. But um....o-okay. Make a sound for 'yes' and don't make a sound for 'no', o-okay?" I knew this was a very silly idea. Especially since from a bystanders point of view, it looked like I was talking to no one. But it didn't matter, because the distorted voice replied in my mind for me. ~~Yes.~~ _Ah! A sound! That means yes! O-okay! This is actually getting a little fun! Okay what should I ask first?_  
  
Looking back to where Sans left to, I frowned lightly, thinking about how the voice spoke up immediately after Sans left. Which got me to wonder.. "Do...you know Sans and Papyrus?" ~~Yes.~~ I blinked once. _Another sound! So, yes? He knows them._ I nod once before asking my next question. "Um...okay I noticed their texts are different from other monsters. Your's is too. I've been thinking about it and...w-well..are you a skeleton?" A split moment of silence echoed in my area before a quick ~~Y-Yes. I'm surprised you caught on to that detail so quickly.~~ I smile at the sound before nodding again. "You're a skeleton. Heh. Mm Nice to meet you, then." I giggled to my silly welcoming voice, receiving the sound of possible laughter from my new skeleton friend. _Lets see. What else should I ask him?_ "Are you friends with Sans and Papyrus?" Silence. Unfortunate silence. A lingering silence with a hint of depression. I frowned at this information. "Y...You're not? Does that mean...I shouldn't trust them?" ~~No. It is best for you to earn their trust. Sans, however...well...Ugh. What am I doing? You don't understand me anyway.~~ My frown turned into a tilt of my head and look of confusion. "You answered so...does that mean I should trust them? Hmm..." I sighed softly as I looked at the snowy path. "I should probably continue on the road. Papyrus and Sans are waiting." ~~Yes. Move along, Frisk.~~  
  
It was probably obvious that my new skeleton comrade was watching my every move. But how am I suppose to learn his text? It probably wouldn't be a good idea to ask Sans or Papyrus. Especially since they aren't on good terms with the distorted voice. _Ugh I don't have time for this. Where is this first puzzle?_  
  
Okay, to be completely honest, I seriously love all of the puzzles the skeleton brothers set out for me. Most of them were done by Papyrus, since apparently Sans is too much of a 'lazybones' (heh), to do one simple puzzle. All he set out for me was a literal crossword puzzle on a sheet of paper. Papyrus was furious! But both brothers were completely baffled when I asked for a pen to start up on the puzzle. My attention was purely focused on the sheet of paper when I began to overhear the brothers' conversation about me. "SANS, THIS HUMAN. SHE HAS BEEN SUCCEEDING THROUGH ALL OF MY...ER OUR, PUZZLES. DO YOU THINK SHE HAS HAD TRAINING?" "doubt it, bro. from the look of it, i'd say she's....actually enjoying herself. weird. this didn't happen before." "WHAT WAS THAT, SANS? YOU'RE MUMBLING AGAIN." "nutin' bro." I glanced up for a moment, catching a glimpse of Sans staring straight at me with a look of disbelief in his eye sockets. _I can understand him being cautious of me, since I'm a human... But what does he mean 'this didn't happen before'? There's...no way I've been here before...have I?_ Avoiding eye contact with the judgmental skeleton,  
I returned my attention to the sheet of paper. Unfortunately for me, the boys' conversation about me never halted as I continued the puzzle.  
  
"ARE ALL FEMALE HUMANS SHORT LIKE HER, BROTHER?" "dunno, bro. though, i'm glad she's shorter than me." "HMMM. IS THAT WHY YOU KEEP STARING AT HER, BROTHER?" "i'm not staring." "YES, YOU ARE." "no i'm not." "BROTHER, YOU HAVE BEEN STARING AT HER SINCE SHE ARRIVED!" "have not." "HAVE TOO." "have not." "HAVE TOO!" "Uh.. guys?" "she isn't even that punny, bro." "SANS..." "Um...h-hello?" "hey, bro, wanna hear something terrible?" "HUH? WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH-" "paper. see? told ya it was tear-able." I watched as Papyrus' eye twitched before he stomped his foot at his winking brother and began yelling loudly at him for the horrible use of a pun. That is until I started laughing at the boys, earning both of them to look at me stunned for my laughter.   
  
"O-OH NO! BROTHER! YOU BROKE THE HUMAN!" Papyrus ran to my side, placing his large hand on my back gently, soothing my back in small circles as I continued laughing. Sans, on the other hand, stood still, watching us with confusion on his skull. "uh..bro?" I shook my head, holding my hand up to Papyrus. "Hehehehehe s-sorry! But that was just too funny! Hehe ah. I haven't laughed like that in years hehe. Thanks for that, Sans. Oh and here you go. I'm done with the puzzle." I handed the crossword puzzle to Papyrus, who was baffled at how complete the sheet of paper was. "THAT TOOK YOU OVER 15 MINUTES, HUMAN! THIS PUZZLE WAS BY FAR THE EASIEST TO DO. WHY DID YOU TAKE TOO LONG? WAS IT BECAUSE OF MY BROTHER'S TERRIBLE PUNS?" "oi, bro. my puns aren't tear-able." He did it again, earning another glaring groan from his taller brother and a chuckle from me. But to answer Papyrus' question, I shook my head, "No, my father never let me play with many puzzles when I was young. But whenever I saw them in the newspapers, I would take a long time playing with the cross word puzzles." Papyrus scratched his jawbone, thinking loudly as he spoke, "HMM WHAT ABOUT WORD JUMBLE?" My smile faded a bit. "Um..well I guess it depends on how long the words are. I usually fall asleep with word jumbles." Shocked, Papyrus shook his head in disbelief. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. YOU'RE JUST LIKE SANS. THOUGH, HE FALLS ASLEEP AT ANYTHING." "'m standing right here, bro." I chuckled again with a little shrug. "U-um right. So...next puzzle?" Grinning from non-existent ear to non-existent ear, Papyrus saluted me with his waving red scarf in the freezing wind before he ran ahead, leaving his brother behind to stare at me once more.  
  
"so..you like my puns, huh?" Sans asked as I walked next to him. I stopped walking for a moment to look at him with a smile. Nodding lightly, I answered, "Yeah. You're a very....'punny' guy." I grinned shyly, knowing that my own pun was probably just as bad as his. Though, it did make his judgmental stare soften at my pun, earning me an additional smirk from the skeleton. "not bad, kiddo. with good practice, you could be a mini-me." He winked playfully at his words. I chuckled once again before looking forward. It was starting to snow again, adding more to the already white scenery. "Where does this path lead, anyway?" I asked. "snowdin." Sans answered, walking beside me as I had began to walk through the snow. "Snowdin? Is that another pun?" I looked at him, in which he shrugged to my question. "sorta. you'll see when we get there. it's a town. my bro and I live there." I nod a bit, thinking for a moment before asking another question as we walked passed a few more snow puffs. "How far am I from the capital?" Sans looked down at me for a second before returning his gaze to the snow path ahead. "can't wait for the end, eh?" "Huh?" Blinking with a confused look, I peer up at him, "End?" It sounded so...final, the way he said it. "gotta admit, kid. it's a little..surprising you haven't killed anyone yet." This time my confusion turned into pure shock as I looked at him. "W-what? I would never kill anyone." "don't you lie to me.." He glared at me with such a deep, dark tone.   
  
Both of our movements stopped as Sans turned towards me with a menacing glare. "why are you really here? toying with our emotions like this. pretending to be our friend? don't make me laugh, kid." He took a step closer to me, making me take a step away in reaction. "W-what? What are you talking about?" I stuttered, looking around for a way to run from this new side of Sans. It was creepy how he put me in such a disturbing category. Are humans really that feared to the monsters? Up on the surface, monsters are a bed time story told to children in a sense of discipline. But this? "H-How many humans have you met, Sans? I don't know if any of them have...harmed any monsters, but I promise I won't. I only want to get back to the surface to prove my innocence." He raised a non-existent eyebrow, "innocence?" "SANS! HUMAN! WHERE DID YOU GO?" Papyrus' voice echoed from ahead, obviously searching for us. Sighing once before leaning away from me, Sans scratched the back of his skull as he turned away from me, "....let's talk about this later, kay kid? and...don't talk about this with my bro. got it?" Gulping deeply, I nodded as Sans walked over to join his brother.  
  
 _Just...what the heck happened?! He's far more intimidating than Flowey! Is this why he and Papyrus are not on good terms with that distorted voice I keep hearing?_ Feeling reluctant to move forward, I inhale a sharp and frozen breath before finding the determination within me to follow after the two skeletons. Up ahead, I succeeded another set of puzzles before finding a plate of spaghetti sitting on a table with a broken and unplugged microwave. It was a little strange, but then I noticed a note posted next to the plate addressed to me reading: HUMAN! PLEASE ENJOY THIS DELECTABLE SENSATION MADE BY ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! _Aww how sweet! He made me a plate of spaghetti.... But why? I am a little hungry but I'm sure I'll be fine. Besides, the plate is a little uh...stuck to the table. Must be frozen._ Poking my finger into the food, I noticed how cold the noodles were. _Yeah, definitely frozen. That's unfortunate. It was such a nice thing to do for me. I wonder why he went through all that effort to do this for me? Hmm I should tell him I couldn't eat it. I hope he won't be mad about it._  
  
"AH THERE SHE IS, BROTHER! NYEHEHE!" Papyrus chanted happily as I arrived to a long bridge leading to the two skeletons on the other side. I waved with a smile at Papyrus, who beamed at me and waved in reply. "WELCOME BACK, HUMAN! THIS IS THE SECOND TO LAST PUZZLE! AFTER YOU FACE THE WRATH OF THIS PUZZLE, YOU WILL BE INTRODUCED TO OUR HOMETOWN IN SNOWDIN! NYEHEH! NOW, HUMAN, PREPARE YOURSELF FOR YOUR NEXT TRAIL!" He held up a remote control and pressed a button. All of a sudden all sorts of dangerous objects appeared throughout the bridge. Various saws and blades loomed overhead, including a dog who was hanging by a rope, panting in a cute way. "SEE IF YOU CAN CROSS THIS!" Papyrus laughed loudly as he pressed another button. I gulped slightly but blinked in confusion as nothing happened. "uh bro?" Sans looked up to his brother. "did ya break it?" "W-WHAT? NO! I DID EXACTLY AS THE INSTRUCTIONS SAID.." Papyrus pouted as he examined the device in his gloved hand. "did you put in batteries?" Sans asked, smirking slightly. Papyrus' eyes grew wide from realization before he groaned and kicked the bridge, making all of the 'dangerous' obstacles pull away from sight, leaving a safe bridge to cross for me. "T-THAT...UH WAS JUST TO BE A DISTRACTION FOR YOU, HUMAN! BUT FEAR NOT! YOUR REAL PUZZLE IS WAITING AHEAD! NYEHEHEHE!" And once again, Papyrus dashed forward towards the town of Snowdin. Sans lingered for a moment, staring at me as usual before shrugging and walking away in silence. _That guy... Snowdin must be next, right? Maybe the town folk can tell me more about these two skeletons._  
  
The bustling town of Snowdin was by far the most loving and cozy town I had ever seen. It was a thousand times better than my own hometown. Back home, I lived too close to a chemical station that had often polluted the air and grass when exposing their contents into the environment. Being down here in Snowdin was so welcoming to me, and not just because of the atmosphere. The people, er rather the monsters, all around were not terrifying at all! They all smiled at me, waved as I walked by or even stopped to point me in the right direction. Even the children wanted to play with me. For a few minutes, I decided to grab a few snowballs, tossing them lightly at the children who giggled as they hid behind the decorative Christmas tree presented in the center of town. When I asked if they were good children for Christmas, they looked at me in confusion. Apparently, the monsters here have never heard of Christmas. The reason why the decorate the tree is because of a monster that has large antlers, similar to that of tree branches. The monster had been bullied in the past, having all sorts of things behind tossed onto his antlers. He felt so embarrassed and would hide away from the town. But the townsfolk felt in their hearts to decorate the trees in the area, in hopes to calm and bring the monster back home. Feeling a sense of sadness wash over me from the story, I only felt it right for me to put something onto the tree as well.  
  
The children had led me to a nearby grocery store to buy an ornament for the tree. It was very kind of the children. "Welcome! Ah?" A young female cat monster smiled at me with hands on her hips. "You look new here. Name's Kitty. My sis next door owns the Inn. If you're visiting, it'd be nice to drop in to stay the night there. Her name is Kat. So, what are you lookin' for, little one?" She winked at me with a grin as my eyes drifted to the counter top. She definitely had many things on sale. From food, to trinkets. Even a few things to protect me against the hostile monsters, though few as they were. However, there was one thing that definitely caught my eye. "T-that book!" I pointed to a book above her head. We both looked at the dark cover. It was a thick book about skeletons. Not technically about their anatomy per se, but more about their characteristics and lifestyle. _What luck! I wonder if it would say anything about their different texts?_ Though, no matter how excited I was for the book, I noticed how pricey it was. I rummaged through my black backpack, frowning as I counted the few spare change I had. I could only afford a few trinkets for the tree, like I promised. There was no way I could afford the book. Seeing my depression plastered on my face, Kitty took down the book and smiled at me. "You look like you really want this old thing. Hmm tell ya what. I'll cut the price in half. If you can pay for half the price by the end of the week, it's yours." I gasped, astonished at her kindness. "Thank you so much! Yes! I'll do my best to earn enough for it by the end of the week." Kitty beamed happily at my words, patting my head lightly with her paw as she spoke, "Atta girl. Now, did you want to do more shopping?"  
  
"Woooooow!" The children exclaimed around me as I added a few colorful bows and bells to the tree. They jingled in the snowy wind as the children giggled loudly, running around the tree in a large circle. Obviously the kids were having a blast, watching me hang the ornaments to the tree. I, too, giggled in excitement as I watched the multicolored lights flicker against the added bells. _What is it about decorating things that is just so fun?_ Smiling widely, I continued exploring Snowdin. I thought back to what Kitty said earlier. _How exactly will I make enough gold to buy that book?_ "aw, come on, grillbz!" Sans' deep voice erupted from the next building. Looking ahead, I noticed Sans had been kicked out of what looked like a bar. Glancing up above him, I noticed the neon sign above read "Grillby's Bar & Grill". _Huh. I guess it really is a bar._ "Um.." I mumbled lightly as I tried to avoid Sans, though unfortunately, I caught his attention as I drew near him. "eh? ah. 'ey, kiddo." He grinned at me with his cemented smile, raising a bottle of _wait, is that ketchup?_ Looking at him closely, he bore a thin crease of blue across his cheek bones. _No way._ "Uh Sans? Are you...drunk?" I asked softly. He blinked slowly for a moment before laughing in a drunken slur. "'wacha made you think of that, kid?" I couldn't help but to laugh at him. He was drunk! Sans! Drunk! It was actually kinda cute seeing him speak in such a slur like that. "oh. don't look at me like that, kid. not nice." He groaned, holding a hand to his skull as he leaned against the brick wall of the bar.   
  
"What are you doing out here, Sans?" I asked him, approaching him carefully. Even if he's drunk, I can't be sure whether or not to trust him yet. Luckily, Sans didn't seem to mind. "ugh. grillbz kicked me out again." I tilted my head as I listened to him grumble. "A-Again? Why? Did you get into a fight with someone?" Though, Sans didn't quite strike me the type of person to pick a fight. He smirked at my worried look on my face as he replied, "my tab." I blinked, thinking over his few words. "T-tab? How...big is your tab?" I shouldn't have asked. It only made his grin grow wider until he burst into hysterics. Feeling a bead of sweat drip from my temple, I chuckled nervously with him as he wrapped an arm around me. "saw what you did there, with the kids. might be a li'l wrong 'bout you, kid. today's just been all sorts of surprises cause of you.." I frowned lightly at him. _Why does he sound so sad?_ "Sans?" I asked, my voice dropping to one of worry. Most likely hearing my tone of voice change, he slid his arm away from me, dropping his boney hands into his coat pockets as he walked towards the entrance of Snowdin. "paps is up ahead. might wanna prepare yourself if you're gonna go up against my bro."  
  
 _I really need to get that book. There's gotta be something in there to help me understand those skeletons more._ Sighing deeply as I walked passed the bar, I noticed a lovely home at the end of town. The house was two stories, decorated like the other buildings in snow and Christmas lights. To the left of the house stood two mail boxes. One was completely empty, while the other was completely overflowing with letters of various colors. Peeking to get a better look, I noticed that the mail boxes belonged to Papyrus and Sans. _This must be their home. It's beautiful! And so welcoming!_ I smiled at the heartwarming house, feeling a pleasant dose of determination wash through me as I waved goodbye to their home and made my way towards the exit of town. _Sans said that Papyrus was up ahead. But from the way he spoke, it sounded like I'm meant to really fight his brother. Why does he expect that out of me?_  
  
The moment I stepped away from town, my shivering body grew into a fierce shiver as I got blinded by waves of wind blowing the snow into a blizzard. I struggled to even see the path before me. That is until I noticed a familiar figure standing in my way. "P-P-Papyrus?" I asked, teeth chattering against the frigid chill. He was silent, standing like a statue against the blizzard around us. _I know he's a skeleton and all, but can't he feel the pressure of the wind or something?!_ "HUMAN... YOU CAN NOT GO ANY FURTHER THAN THIS. THIS...IS YOUR FINAL TRAIL. I HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO CAPTURE YOU AND TAKE YOU TO UNDYNE. ONCE IN HER GRASP, SHE WILL....." He paused, sounding very depressed as he spoke. "TAKE YOU TO KING ASGORE A-AND....UGH NO! NO NO NO! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN NOT FAULTER! I WILL CAPTURE YOU, HUMAN! I WILL IGNORE MY FEELINGS OF WANTING TO BE YOUR FRIEND!" I blinked, confused, "H-huh? You want to be my friend, Papyrus?" He flinched and shook his skull before pointing a finger at me. "U-UR... PREPARE YOURSELF, HUMAN! ONE BATTLE WITH ME AND I WILL HAVE YOU SENT IN CONFINEMENT! NYEHEHEHE!"  
  
"I don't want to fight you, Papyrus! Why can't we just be friends?!" I shouted at him, feeling my frozen tears trickle against my cheeks. For an hour, I had been dodging, or more appropriately running and hiding, from various bone attacks from Papyrus. He is _seriously_ one tough cookie. Stomping his boot into the snow impatiently, Papyrus retorted in loud reply, "STOP IT! STOP MAKING ME WANT TO BEFRIEND YOU! I CAN'T! CAN'T YOU SEE, HUMAN?! NOW PLEASE, FIGHT ME WITH PRIDE AND HONOR! YOU'RE NOT EVEN TRYING!" Again, I did my best to jump out of the way from a wave of bones, until Papyrus huffed lightly. "FINE. YOU LEAVE ME NO CHOICE! I WILL NOW USE MY STRONGEST ATTACK!" Instantly I felt my soul weigh heavily as I literally felt my body sink lower into the snow. It was as if I had no control of my own body! "W-what the?!" I panicked, trying so hard to force my feet to move. Looking at my soul, I gasped as realization hit me. "NYEHEHE! YOU'RE BLUE NOW." Grinning proudly, Papyrus sent out a new wave of bone attacks towards me, some were even blue. Gulping loudly, I found the determination within me to push more strength into my legs and jump out of the way of the white bones. But for the final, blue bone, my legs grew weary and dug deep into the snow, penetrating my movements for a long moment. The blue bone stormed at me, moving through me with no damage to my body at all. _W-what? It didn't hurt me! But why? Is it because it's blue? I think I get it now. He changed my soul color, and my body felt like the gravity around me changed. So, if I stay still around the blue bones, I won't get hurt! Those white ones, I still need to avoid though._  
  
With new, profound determination, I had the courage to continue facing Papyrus in this battle. I had no intention to harm him, and I feel it deep in my soul that he feels the same. Papyrus isn't the type of skeleton to do this willingly. _Though, he is definitely a skilled fighter. I wonder how long he has been doing this?_ Huffing lightly in repetition, I faced my challenger with a friendly smile, "Papyrus, please stop this. You are much better than this! You're a kind skeleton. You're so fun to be around and I enjoy going through your puzzles!" I wanted to prove to him how eager I was to earn his friendship, though quite unfortunately, I received a much...different reaction. Standing stunned by my words, a noticeable crease of red-orange lines formed upon his cheekbones as his already permanent grin grew ever so slightly with a nervous chuckle before he spoke. "N-NYEHEHEH.... NOW I SEE WHY YOU ARE HESITANT, HUMAN. YOU HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH ME!" _Wait, what?_ I shook my head and opened my mouth to try to correct him in my meaning, but he beat me to it. Speaking with his scarf flowing in the blizzard wind, Papyrus chanted with self-proclaimed praise, "FEAR NOT, HUMAN! AFTER OUR BATTLE, I WILL HONOR YOUR FLIRTATIOUS VALUES WITH A DATE. YES! A DATE WITH ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEHEHEHE! BUT FIRST, LET US FINISH OUR BATTLE! I HAVE SAVED THE BEST, MY MOST STRONGEST ATTACK, FOR THE END! YOU WILL BE MOST AMAZED BY MY BRILLIANT SCHEMES AND SKILLS, HUMAN! NYEHEHEHEHE!"  
  
 _There is just no way of getting through this guy! He is as thick skulled as his brother!_ Raising his gloved hand to point at me, Papyrus chanted in a heroic tone of voice, "NOW, HUMAN, WATCH AS MY FINAL ATTACK SENDS YOU TO YOUR DEMISE!" Though, nothing happened. All that we both saw was a cute white dog, wagging his tail with sheer glee and holding a bone in his mouth with a grin in his bite. Stomping his boot into the snow at the dog, Papyrus chased after the little guy, causing the puppy to run away with his 'attack'. I couldn't help but to giggle at the scene. It was just too cute! "NYEGGGH! WELL, DARN IT! THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY FINAL, MOST AWESOME ATTACK... NOW I HAVE TO JUST USE A NORMAL, BORING ATTACK." I smiled at Papyrus' pouting gesture until he sent off another wave of bones at me, of which I again, struggled to avoid. Especially when it came to the _FUCKING GIANT BONE?! WHAT THE ABSOLUTE?!_ To make things even more unbelievable, I felt like a new force had begun to pull my body and soul. Looking down to my blue heart-shaped soul, I noticed it pulsed a bit, almost as if it were a real beating heart. Looking back up, I gulped hesitantly as the enormous bone drew closer. Trying to find the courage, and strength, in my legs, I blinked in utter confusion as my own body lifted itself with ease, floating just above the threatened skyscraper of a bone. Only to make my confusion even more of a sudden shock, was when I noticed Sans, hiding behind a boulder. Facing me with one glowing blue eye and the other.... _W...What the? What the hell happened to his eye? It's all white-out like...glitchy. But..that makes no sense._ Unfortunately having no time to question my confusion, my body drifted back down, luckily avoiding the one remaining, tiny but fast, bone that swam just under my feet before my body collided with the snow once more.  
  
Papyrus, just as stunned as I was, clapped his gloved hands together in a welcoming approval. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WERE ABLE TO AVOID MY FINAL ATTACK! AND I EVEN TRIED MAKING IT AS DIFFICULT AS MY TRUE, AWESOME ATTACK WOULD HAVE BEEN! NYEHE! ALRIGHT, HUMAN. I FEEL IT IS ONLY RIGHT FOR THIS BATTLE TO END. I CAN'T FIGHT YOU ANYMORE. I FAILED IN TRYING TO CAPTURE YOU AND REALLY...I WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND! NYEHEH. BESIDES, WE HAVE A DATE TO LOOK FORWARD TO, DO WE NOT?" He blushed triumphantly as he patted my head softly before dashing off back towards Snowdin. "I WILL BE WAITING BACK IN TOWN, MY FRIEND! I CAN NOT WAIT FOR OUR DATE! NYEHEHEHEHEHE!" I blushed at his enthusiasm, even if it was misinterpreted. Though, my blush quickly subsided as I sensed a familiar presence walking up behind me. "good job, kiddo. didn't know you had it in you." I frowned lightly as I turned to face the grinning pun master, Sans.  
  
"You mind explaining to me what just happened back there?" I asked, with a bit of a demanding tone in my words. Holding his fingerless gloved hands up in defense, Sans walked beside me with a sarcastic remark, "well, from my point of view, that was a flying human. heh. don't see many of those these days, right?" My frown deepened at his lame joke, "I'm serious, Sans. I get that whatever happened to me was all done by magic, but I saw you. Your eye was glowing and your other one....well it looked like you were hurt. Or it was missing or..." I stopped talking as he stared at me with deep, dark void of eye sockets. A feeling of dread washed over me as he drew near, speaking in a deathly tone, " **don't. ever. talk about this with my bro. you hear me? he doesn't need to know about this. and trust me, human. I will know if you squeal.** " My heart raced with worry with each word he ordered at me. _I need to stay the hell away from this guy. He terrifies me._ Satisfied with the fear plastered on my face, Sans' white pin pricks popped back into his eye sockets and his pun-loving voice returned to speak, "good luck with datin' my bro, by the way. he's never had a date before. heh. and....thanks for being soft on my bro. as shocked as I am to admit it, he really does want you to be his friend. heh. welp. i'm goin' to grillby's. tell my bro i'll be late." And with that, Sans walked away in the opposite direction yet again. _That guy is such an enigma! The more I want to know about him the more I come to realize how much I fear him! And his brother? Well, Papyrus is actually quite nice. I would love to be his friend. But, should I really go through with this date thing? Hmm... Sans said it was Papyrus' first date. Does he even know what he's doing?_


	3. Skeletons In My Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ready for a date with the most loud and innocent skeleton in existence? Frisk certainly wasn't! Let's take a peek at how her day goes from dating Papyrus to going on a job hunt. (Terrible summary, I know, but I didn't know how else to word it lol)

To be completely honest, I wasn't really looking forward to my er 'date' with Papyrus. Yes, I adored his humor and light-hearted nature about himself, but...this is _not_ how a date should be! It all began the next day. I had decided to spend the night at the Snowd Inn. (Heh, now I know what Sans was talking about) Even though I only had 6 G, Kat was very kind enough to let me stay a night for free. She even offered to give me a simple breakfast in the morning as well. But when I woke up, and after having my eggs and toast, I left the Inn to come face to face with Papyrus, who was blushing a red-orange hue across his cheekbones. "A-AHEM! GOOD MORNING, HUMAN! I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU UP AND EARLY!" I chuckled shyly as I approached the gleaming tall skeleton. "U-um good morning to you too, Papyrus. Did you sleep well?" Just my simple question made his blushing crease darken slightly, "W-WOWIE! YOU'RE SO CONSIDERATE OF MY WELL BEING! YES, FAIR HUMAN, I DID INDEED HAVE A PLEASANT SLEEP! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING! NYEHEH!" I giggled at his enthusiasm. Stepping up to join him, I noticed he was fumbling a bit with his posture. He seemed very nervous. "Are you okay, Papyrus?" I asked, curious. He nodded, his grinned standing true to his words. "OF COURSE I AM ALRIGHT, MY FRIEND. UH AHEM SO UH....A-ARE YOU....READY, HUMAN?" I tilted my head, looking at him with confusion in my face. "Ready for what?" Papyrus' grin grew an inch as he spoke, confidently. "FOR OUR DATE, OF COURSE!"  
  
Following behind Papyrus, though reluctant as I was, I figured that going along with this 'date' of ours may be a good chance to get to know the skeleton brothers more. Or so I thought. First, Papyrus wanted to take me to the one place he loves to hang out the most. I figured he was going to take me to some romantic place or to build a snowman but no. He dragged me around, literally in a circle around town just to end back to his home. Once inside, he introduced me to Sans' pet rock, which honestly, I thought was adorable. _They are both skeletons. And they have a pet rock. They even had fed it sprinkles! Hahah! Oh man. These two are so funny!_ "I AM THRILLED YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS DATE AS MUCH AS I AM, HUMAN! GO ON. TAKE A LOOK AROUND!" Papyrus was eager to let me explore in his house. In fact, it made me wonder if he, or his brother, ever had any neighbors inside their home? Glancing to the floor, I noticed a sock and a couple of sticky notes posted onto the wall next to me. Most likely noticing my curiosity, Papyrus stepped next to me to explain the issue of the sock on the floor. "IT BELONGS TO MY BROTHER... I KEEP TELLING HIM OVER AND OVER TO PICK UP HIS SOCKS. BUT, AS ALWAYS, HE IGNORES ME! UGH! THE LAZYBONES!" My smile grew as I fought the urge to laugh at Papyrus' pun. _I know he 'hates' puns from his brother, but Papyrus also makes puns too. Unconditionally, I've noticed. I wonder if he knows that he's doing it?_  
  
Though, I must admit, the most interesting of this 'date' of ours would probably have been when I peeked into their kitchen. If anything, the first thing that caught my attention was the ten foot high sink placed in the back of the kitchen. Papyrus stood proudly next to me as he showed off his sink. Though, he intended to show me his 'extravagant collection' of bone attacks he had saved for our battle. However, when he opened the cabinet underneath the sink, all we found was the same white little doggy that had stole his 'awesome bone attack' he had planned on using on me from before. Unfortunately for Papyrus, the cute little doggy dashed away too fast for Papyrus to catch him. Which caused a humorous bellowing sound of a trombone being played from above us. Exiting the kitchen, we both looked up the stairway to see Sans, grinning mischievously at us as he blew into his trombone. _Oh God. I now just got the pun._ Shaking my head as I resisted chuckling to myself for realizing the pun, Papyrus stomped his foot angrily to the floor as his brother played another tune on his instrument. "GRRR SAAAAAANS!" Papyrus shouted, making Sans snicker before sliding back into the room he stood in front of. Though, as quick as he entered, once he had disappeared, I could hear a faint click from his door. _Did he lock himself in? I wonder if that's his bedroom?_   Doing his best to ignore Sans' obvious interruption, Papyrus turned towards me with a little huff in his step. "PERHAPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MY ROOM NOW? I HAVE A BETTER COLLECTION IN THERE AND WE COULD...UH DO...WHAT COUPLES DO...WHEN THEY ARE ON A DATE." _Oh my God. He's not saying what I think he's saying....is he?_  
  
Thank God my imagination isn't as I believed it would have been. Climbing up the stairs with Papyrus, he opened the closest door to the stairway, leading straight into his bedroom. Papyrus' bedroom reminded so much of that of a 6 year old boy. He had action figures all lined up on his desk, or more appropriately his 'battle warriors' as he calls them. His bed is literally a red race car bed made for little boys. And to top it off, he even has a large black and white pirate flag hanging on his wall for display! Funny how he thinks that skeletons were thought as a superior race before 'humans came along'. _Hehe. He doesn't even know what a pirate is. Papyrus is the definition of a cinnamon bun!_ "NYEHEH! IMPRESSED, AREN'T YOU? WELL, FORGET NOT, HUMAN! FOR HERE IS WHERE OUR DATE WILL BEGIN! NOW, LET'S SEE." He reached into his dresser and grabbed a book. "What's that?" I asked, peering over his shoulder. "I BOUGHT THIS BOOK ON DATING TIPS AFTER OUR BATTLE. IT WAS SANS' IDEA. I'M GLAD I LISTENED TO HIS ADVICE. CAUSE UH NYEH...THIS IS MY FIRST DATE, HONESTLY." He looked away, embarrassed, which only made my grin grow slightly. _He's so cute._ Waiting patiently, I stood to the side of him, giving him plenty of space to read his, heh, dating manual.  
  
Our 'date' had turned from cute and funny to what-the-absolute-eff in a matter of minutes. Papyrus' book of dating tips did not help one bit! First, we had some sort of crazy radar looping around for strange reasons, having nothing to do with our date. Plus a graph showing lots of fluctuations in the diagram, making us both very confused. But, Papyrus seemed impressed by how 'informed' the book was for us. But then things got even more weird. Papyrus, by the book's definition, felt inclined to change out of his 'battle armor' and into his  'perfect outfit for dates'. Which was literally another pair of undies (why is he even wearing that?), a 'cool dude' t-shirt with _wait, are those basketballs on his shoulders?_ A...and a baseball cap on his head. I must admit though. Despite how silly this entire date was, I was truly impressed with how determined he was to go along with it! "NYEHEH! SURPRISED, HUMAN?" Papyrus spoke with a prideful grin on his skull. "IT SAYS HERE THAT IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN THE MOST PERFECT DATE, YOU MUST DRESS UP APPROPRIATELY WITH FINESE!" He shut the book and posed vainly. "WELL, HUMAN? WHAT DO YOU THINK? IMPRESSED, AREN'T YOU? TO BE STANDING HERE WITH ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND TO SEE ME IN MY SPECIAL ATTIRE! BUT FRET NOT, MY FRIEND! I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE SUCH A SUPERIOR GARMENT TO.....W-WAIT.." He stepped up to me, his fingers stroking his jawbone slowly as he contemplated in a hushed silence, all while staring at my body intensely. If I hadn't thought this whole situation was cute, I would have been embarrassed to the core at how close he was to my face. But, in all honesty, I was holding in my inner laughter. _How can he be so determined for this 'date'? Hehe._    
  
Taking a step back, Papyrus stared at me with a slight frown. "YOU... _ARE_ DRESSED." It was a fact. During my travels and puzzle solving, I ended up finding a few little knickknacks to aid me on my path. Among these was a soft pink, and slightly frayed, tutu with a matching set of pink ballerina slippers. The moment I saw those faded beauties, I couldn't help but to reflect on my own memories as a young child. Though my memories are a tab bit dim in my mind, I still remembered my joy of twirling in small circles with my homemade ballerina slippers. My brother would always find a simple way to trip me in my dancing, however. Usually by creeping up behind me, spooking me, or by slipping his foot in my path, causing me to trip and slam onto my chin as I'd collide with the hard concrete floor. That was another detail about my memory that was odd. That concrete floor didn't belong to my current home with my foster father. In fact, now that I think back to it, it kind of reminds me of the concrete path in the Ruins I roamed about before finding Toriel's home. _Maybe it's just a coincidence?_ "HUMAN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"   
  
Shaking my head vigorously from my thoughts, I blinked in surprise at Papyrus' concerned voice. Putting on a quick smile, I chuckled nervously as I performed a timid curtsy. "Y-yes I'm fine. I uh just didn't think you noticed my um outfit I chose to wear for our date." It was a lie, of course, but none the less, Papyrus' everlasting grin still grew with gleeful pride as he posed victoriously at my explanation. "NYEHEHE! WELL OF COURSE I NOTICED, MY SMALL HUMAN FRIEND! IT IS OBVIOUS HOW MUCH YOU ARE WILLING TO TRY AND WOO ME!" Feeling the urge to burst into laughter, I struggled with a tight lip to hold in my giggles and instead nodded to my taller friend. _He is so cute and gullible! It's too bad I'm not serious about this whole dating thing he has invented for us. But even so, I wanna hug him. He's adorable!_ "NYEH! BUT NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, MY ATTRACTIVE FRIEND, YOU WILL NOT WIN AGAINST ME! THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" My smile perked up as a soft giggle replayed in my mind, "You think I'm attractive, Papy?" "A-AH...…..D-DID I SAY THAT?" I nodded, causing him to mumble, blushing a tangerine hue across his cheek bones. _Seriously, how can skeletons blush? They have no skin! This better not be another 'magic' thing that I can't understand._ Grumbling in slight annoyance over what I had said, Papyrus shrugged my comment off quickly before retorting loudly. "ALRIGHT THEN, HUMAN! YOU MAY HAVE...WON THAT ROUND, BUT I JUST KNOW YOU WILL NOT SUCCEED IN THIS FINAL ROUND!" _When did our date turn into a battle?_ Posing with his left hand on his hipbone and his right hand held in a fist over his upper chest, Papyrus praised himself yet again as he continued, "NYEHEHEHE!" With a taunting, though considering how cute he is being, his 'taunt' was more comical than intimidating, smirk, Papyrus giggled with glee as he approached me. "I, MY SMALL FRIEND, HAVE HIDDEN A SPECIAL PRESENT JUST FOR YOU! I WILL GIVE YOU ONLY ONE HINT! IT IS SOMEWHERE ON MY BODY. NYEHEHE! SEE IF YOU CAN FIND IT!"  
  
 _A present? For me? When did he have the time to get me a present?_ Tapping his foot impatiently, I shrugged lightly as I examined him from top to bottom. Nothing about his attire hinted anything about hiding a present. The twin basketballs on his shoulders were obviously a sight to see, but there was no way they could hide anything. And considering the fact that Papyrus is a literal skeleton, he didn't have any flesh to hold up his undergarment. If anything, his belt was tightened around his spine repeatedly to hold up his lower fabrics. Therefore, resisting the urge to hide an obvious gift for me as well. Then, what else would there be to hide a present? Blinking a few times in silent contemplation, I decided to point to the only possibility I could think of: His baseball cap. "MY HAT?" He took a moment to think before his grin shone brightly with excitement. "MY HAT! NYEHEHE! VERY GOOD, MY FRIEND! YOU ARE CORRECT!" Flipping his cap off of his skull, he revealed a yellow box adorned with a bright purple bow placed on the top. I smiled warmly at him as I accepted the gift. "Aw, Papy! You didn't have to buy me anything!" I beamed at him, earning myself a 'NYEHEH!' from my skeleton friend. "I DIDN'T BUY IT. I MADE IT. F-FOR YOU." I looked up at him and grinned at his now deep orange cheekbones. _Yeah, he is definitely blushing. Hehe._ "Thank you, Papyrus." I thanked him happily as I carefully undid the lovely purple ribbon, letting it drape loosely upon each side of the yellow box. Lifting the lid slowly, a pleasant and somewhat spicy aroma wafted up to my nose, causing me to blink in confusion as I retrieved the plate of freshly made spaghetti from the present. "U-um.." I began, but quickly got interrupted by Papyrus' excited voice. "WELL?! IS IT NOT THE BEST PRESENT ONE WOULD EVER RECEIVE?! NYEHEHE! YOU MUST BE SHOCKED! TO BE GRANTED SUCH A HEARTWARMING GIFT BY YOURS TRULY! NYEHEHEHEHEHEH!"  
  
"Heheh. Well, I must admit, it's certainly a surprise. I guess you got me there." I replied with a warm smile. Looking at the plate of spaghetti, I remembered the frozen plate I had passed by during my travels. Though reluctant, I couldn't help but to look up at him with a nervous smile. "Papyrus, thank you. Really, but I...I want to admit something." His shining grin faltered slightly as he peered at me curiously. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, FRIEND?" He asked, a hint of concern in his loud voice. "U-um well. Remember your plate of spaghetti you left me earlier during a puzzle? I couldn't eat it. I-I wanted to but-" "OH!" Papyrus' grin returned to his features instantly. "I SEE! YOU WANTED TO SHARE MY DELICIOUS CUISINE WITH ME! NYEHEHE!" I took a step back, stunned by his ultimate assumption. "W-what? I uh wait I didn't mean-." "FRET NOT, MY DEAR FRIEND! I WOULD BE MOST HONORED TO SHARE MY SCRUMPTIOUS CUISINE WITH YOU AND...….." He sighed deeply, looking at me with a disappointed look on his skull. "HUMAN," He began. "I AM SORRY BUT THIS DATE OF OURS ISN'T WORKING. I WAS THINKING THAT IF I GAVE YOU THE MOST AMAZING DATE EVER, I WOULD FEEL THE SAME DESIRES OF ADORATION THAT YOU FEEL FOR ME. BUT I DON'T. I'D BE LYING THE ENTIRE TIME. I LOST TO OUR BATTLE BEFORE AND I STILL DO WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND. BUT I CAN'T RETURN YOUR FEELINGS OF LOVE. I AM SO SORRY." He explained, looking like he was on the verge of tears.  
  
 _Oh. So that's why he was going to the extremes with this silly date._ Now fully understanding the situation, I couldn't help but to pull my tall boney friend into a warm hug. "It's okay, Papyrus. I'd love to be your friend, if that's okay. And thanks again for the spaghetti." His eyes sparkled as he quickly returned the hug. "OH FRIEND! YOU ARE THE MOST FORGIVING HUMAN! I AM TOO FORTUNATE TO HAVE MET YOU! NYEHEHE!" Grinning from non-existent ear to non-existent ear, Papyrus released me from our hug to dash to his bedroom door. "I'M GOING TO TELL MY BROTHER ABOUT OUR BLOSSOMING FRIENDSHIP! OH! I ALMOST FORGOT! I NEED TO REPORT BACK TO UNDYNE FIRST! NYEH... HERE, YOU GO TELL MY BROTHER ABOUT OUR FRIENDSHIP, WON'T YOU? HE SHOULD BE AT THAT GREASY GRILLBY'S NEXT DOOR." Before I even had a chance to reply, he quickly dashed out of the room, leaving me to blink in confusion. "What's an Undyne?" I asked to the silence in the room. "she's the leader of the royal guard." Sans' voice replied, causing me to jump, startled.   
  
"H-heh. Hello again, Sans. I thought you were at the bar? Papyrus wanted me to go find you and tell you about-" "your new friendship with him, I know. I heard." He interrupted, walking to the bedroom door. I sighed a bit. Why did I get this strange feeling that he doesn't like me? I crossed my arms as I followed the shorter skeleton. "You don't approve of me and him being friends, don't you?" I asked, earning myself a low chuckle from the comedian. "now what ever gave you that idea?" He smirked, obviously speaking with a sarcastic tone. I rolled my eyes, however, keeping a firm determined grin on my face. "I don't see why you'd be so hostile towards me. I like Papyrus. He's so kind and fun to be around. Unlike _some_ people." Sans stopped walking out of the room to look at me, "are you really trying to get me to be jealous of my baby bro, kid?" At this, I couldn't help but to laugh. The thought alone was just too funny. Shaking my head back and forth, I replied simply, "No of course not! I'm just trying to prove to you that I _can_ be a good friend to Papyrus. And you too, if you'd ever _let_ me be your friend."  Sans stared at me, his white dots for eyes shrinking into tiny pinpricks as he took a step closer to me. "you and me. friends? that's the worst joke I've ever heard you mutter, brat." Feeling a ping of twisting pain rush through my chest, I couldn't help but to back away to the wall behind me, staring up at the menacing skeleton in front of me. "W..why are you acting like this to me? I understand if you hate humans, but I haven't done anything to-" "don't play innocent, you damn brother killer." He spoke with venom in his words. But what he said only made me more confused.   
  
"Brother killer?" I repeated, raising a quivering eyebrow at Sans, who took a step back from me. He sighed, shaking his head back and forth before he faced the stairway. "get out of my house, kid. you're not welcome here." And with that, he descended down the steps and walked out of the house. Sliding my body down against the wall, I stared at the spot Sans was standing in as I tried to recollect my thoughts. Just what had happened? I had my 'date' with Papyrus, earned his friendship and then got bitched at by Sans? And what did he mean by 'brother killer'? Papyrus is clearly alive, right? Well, as much as a skeleton would be considered as 'alive', anyway. Feeling a set of shivers run down my spine, I once again sensed the presence of a certain voice echo through my mind. ~~Frisk. You must not give up. Stay determined.~~ "M-Mr. Skeleton?" I blinked away a few tears, rubbing a couple of invisible liquid drops with the back of my hand, before pushing myself up from the floor to take in a quivering breath. Releasing my fearful intake with a slow and steady sigh, I concentrated on my invisible friend's distorted voice and somehow found a new wave of determination flow within me. _I have no idea what he said, but he's right! I can't let Sans' bullying hold me down! I have to find a way to make G and get that book!_ With a new goal set into motion, I strode down the steps in the skelebros house and walked out the front door.  
  
"Are you sure you can't fill me in for a part time job, Miss Kitty Kat?" I asked the kind mother cat creature at the SnowdInn. She was one of my stops on my quest for a job, though so far, I wasn't having much luck. While exploring the snowy town, I ran across a muscly wolf lifting large boulder-sized ice cubes into the river, but got denied instantly seeing as how fragile my arms looked. After him, I tried asking for a part time job at the store I went to earlier. Unfortunately, she wasn't hiring either. My options were wearing thin. _Perhaps I should try outside of Snowdin?_ Sighing deeply with a shake of her furry head, the cat lady frowned in response, "I'm sorry, little dear, but this is a family owned business and only my family can work in the Inn with me. And I'm Kit, my sis next door is Kat." I apologized for the name and she waved it off with a smile. "It's no big deal, little dear. But, how about you try the bar at the end of town? Grillby's a nice flame and last I heard, he was complaining about having to constantly mop up after the Guard Dogs every single minute of the day. Maybe if you bat those pretty green eyes of yours, he'd hire ya for a good price?" She winked at me with a confident grin. "You really think so? But I know nothing about making alcoholic drinks." I asked, feeling a bit scared at the thought of failing to mix a simple drink for a patron at the bar. Kit chuckled at my reply, "Haha! No no I'm sure he wouldn't have you making drinks on your first day. He'd probably teach you that along the way. Besides, you're new to the area, right? Nah, if anything, he'd probably make you a waitress or something. He's the only one who works there, so I'm sure he'd appreciate the help." Smiling with new found hope, I bowed respectfully to the nice feline lady. "Thank you, Miss Kit! Oh! I almost forgot." I rummaged through my pockets and frowned at the 3G I had left. There would be no way I could afford another night at the Inn. It cost 80G just for one night! Most likely sensing my frustration, Miss Kit returned my frown with one of her own. "I'm sorry, dear, but even if you _had_ enough G, I wouldn't have been able to let you stay another night. All of my rooms are filled tonight. You're gonna have to find somewhere else to sleep. I'm sorry."  
  
 _So not only do I need to land a part time job to buy that skeleton translating book, but I also need a place to spend the night. Who is going to let me stay for just 3G?_ Sighing deeply as I faced the right florescent red sign of Grillby's Bar, I shivered in the winter wind once before opening the glass door, smelling hot food and booze waft around me in an welcoming embrace. Grillby's Bar wasn't too busy, luckily. A couple of monsters were at one table near the entrance, bonding over something about a famous show as I strolled over to the bar. "'sup, kiddo." Sans waved me over to the seat next to him as I made my way to the bar. I noticed a half empty bottle of ketchup in front of the comedian, complete with a drunken grin on his skull. "You...drink ketchup? You know that's not a drink, right?" I asked as I accepted the seat next to him, but quickly regretted it as, once again, I face the wrath of Sans and his lovable whoopie cushion. Snickering at my annoyed stare, he shrugged as if nothing had happened before replying, "not my fault the stuff has acquired tastes." I blinked, processing the mere thought to understand this very strange skeleton. "How do you even _have_ taste buds? You don't have a-." I gasped as he smirked in reply and rolled out his bright neon blue tongue from behind his teeth to lick up a drop of remaining ketchup. I blushed wildly as the realization hit me. "Y-You have a tongue?! B-but how?!" His smirk grew into a taunting laugh, "magic, duh. heheh." Still simmering in my flushed face of embarrassment, I turned in my seat with a huff and crossed my arms over my chest. "so, kid, enjoying the town? you know, you should probably head to the inn soon. a blizzard is coming." I frowned at this new information, turning to him to reply, "Are you serious? This is just not my lucky day.."   
  
Sans looked contemplated as he took another swig of his ketchup bottle. The realization that _skeletons have friggin tongues_ just kept looming over my head. Why would a skeleton use magic a create a glowing tongue? _Well, I can understand if it's to eat and drink, but do skeletons even need to eat? Though, now that I think about it, Papyrus was very excited about making me a plate of spaghetti. Maybe they aren't so different from humans? After all, both Sans and Papyrus wear clothing like humans do. Maybe they have other necessities that humans require as well?_ _"_ Ready to order, Miss?" A male voice asked, snatching me from my curiosity on skeletons and their use of magic. Lifting my gaze up from the bar table, I came face to face with a flaming monster. And I don't just mean a monster on fire. He literally _was fire_. A silhouette of blazing red flames in the shape of a possibly 6 foot (hard to tell, considering his head-flame was flickering in a repetitive dance from various lengths) man, complete in a comfortable suit, minus the tie. He even wore gloves on his hands, which baffled me. _How is he not scorching through any of these fabrics?! Magic? Is that going to be my answer for everything down here?_ Quickly shaking my slightly annoyed questions out of my mind, I answered the flaming man with a smile. "U-um actually I was wondering something. Um are you the owner of this bar, Grillby?" He nodded his burning head once, urging me to continue. Gulping a nervous lump in my throat, I spoke once again, "U-um it's nice to meet you, sir. My name is Frisk and I-I was wondering if you were hiring for part time?" "what?!"  
  
Completely shocked at Sans' immediate reply to my question, both Grillby and I turned to look at the blasphomous looking skeleton. He had dropped his now empty bottle of ketchup to the wooden floor, as well as a small dribble of ketchup from the corner of his teeth. He looked like he was trying to piece together what I had just said before he spoke in a stutter, "w-what the hell are you joking for, kid? you? lookin' for a job? at grillbz?!" His spoke each word with utter disbelief. However, shrugging off my annoyance at his choice of words, I replied simply, "Well, I obviously don't have enough G to spend the night at the Inn, Sans. Though, even if I had, I got turned away. Apparently Kit's Inn is packed tonight and I'll need another place to stay. But that's not the only reason why I need the money." He frowned, if possible, at my explanation, "you must be pullin' my leg, kid. no place at all? shit.." Grillby crossed his arms over his chest, watching both of us quietly before he spoke, "Just stay at Sans' then." I looked up at him, blinking lightly. "W-what? That's very nice but-." "no. hell no." Sans interrupted, snatching the empty ketchup bottle from the floor as he returned it to Grillby's hand. Grillby, however, wasn't satisfied, "Damn it, Sans. I know she's a human but she's not going to survive the blizzard either. You said so yourself." Sans growled a bit before retorting back, "hell no! why can't she stay with you?" Grillby slammed his gloved hands upon the bar, causing the remaining patrons in the bar to become quiet and look over at us. Sans' glare turned downward to his lap as Grillby replied sternly, "Because I am a grown man and you are still a child, Sans. You and your brother still need to learn responsibility. You don't have a father to teach that to you, so I'm the closest thing you'll get. If you want to say no, then fine. But don't tell me. Tell her." He pointed to me, making me flinch and look away in embarrassment.   
  
It's not that I was scared of Grillby. It was his authoritive command in his voice that reminded me too much of my own step father. _When Pops wasn't completely wasted, he'd yell at me similar to the way Grillby is. Though, Grillby has a much more...kinder way with his words than father did.... I wonder what he is doing right now? Is he worried about me? Looking for me? Maybe he called the cops and sent out a search party?_ Despite the fact that someone would normally feel hopeful for such care in a family member, all I felt by these thoughts were complete dread. I didn't want to be found. Though it _was_ an accident coming to the Underground, I didn't regret it. In fact, I was starting to like it down here. The monsters were far more kinder than the life I led up above. Some even welcomed me with a true smile. Even Sans smiled a few, rare, times at me. Though, the look he gave me now felt more...somber. Sad, even. Was that regret in his sunken eyelights? "Now, Frisk was it? You wanted a part time job, uh? The place is pretty quiet right now. I can give you a quick run down of what to do before the dinner rush comes in an hour. Come on." Grillby spoke, cleaning off his gloves with a damp cloth before tossing it aside and lifting the bar latch to let me into the backroom of the building. With renewed vigor, I jumped off of my stood and strode behind the flaming man with a grin on my face. _Maybe there is hope yet._  
  
Considering the fact that he was hiring me as a waitress, he didn't mind the fact that I wouldn't know a lick of knowledge for the ways of bartending. All Grillby wanted me to do was keep the floors, tables, chairs, bar, dishes and windows clean. Add to that, it is my responsibility to greet and attend to patron's orders. He gave me a handful of menus, along with a faded black apron, straws and a bunch of napkins for me to place into the apron's pockets. Grillby didn't expect me to know the menu by heart and he told me not to worry about customers acting out rudely towards me. "Most will probably be drunk anyways or wouldn't even notice the fact that you're human." He mentioned as he helped tie the apron strings behind my back for me. I couldn't help but to ask, "How'd you know I'm human? I thought it was rare for humans to come down here." He didn't seem to mind my question as he replied calmly, "I didn't, at first. But I know Sans. He _has_ met a human before. Every time he comes in here, he's either getting sloshed drunk off of that damn ketchup, bragging about his cool bro, or grumbling nonsense about a killer human on the loose. Between you and me, Sweets,  I sometimes think he's freaking out over nothing." He stopped tying the string around my waist to look at me for a moment. "He needs a friend. His brother and I have been there for him but... Well, Sans is secretive. Don't know why, but maybe he's afraid of something? I've tried asking him, but as usual, he avoids it." He sighed deeply before continuing, "Look, Frisk. Sans is a nice skeleton. I'm sorry on his behalf for his rude behavior. If he had parents, I bet he wouldn't have treated you with such disrespect." I blinked, tilting my head a bit as I turned to face my boss. "Wait, Sans and Papyrus are orphans too?" Grillby blinked, or at least I think he did, before replying, "....You're an orphan, Sweets?" His statement didn't feel much like a question as it did of a confirmation. Reluctantly, I nodded slowly, turning my gaze to the ground. "My...family is dead. I'm all alone and....well I do have a step father but.....I-I..." My voice cracked as my eyes felt the urge to release tears once again.  
  
Pulling me in for an unexpected hug, Grillby hushed my quivvering voice by patting my head gently with his gloved hand. "Shh. It's alright. I get it. Really." Blinking away another tear, I burried my face into his dark vest, trying my best to catch my breath from the incoming sob in the back of my throat. _Pull it together, Frisk! You don't have time for crying right now. Get your head in the game and focus on work! Remember! You need that book!_ Refilled with determination, I pulled myself away from Grillby and presented myself with a confident grin. "Sorry about that. Ahem, uh so what should I do first?" Chuckling a bit from my quick recovery, Grillby patted my head once more before leading me back out of the backroom. From this moment on, my journey became a jumbled mess.  
  
"I need a refill over here!" "Where's my bowl of chips?" "Are the treats ready yet?" "Hey! Waitress lady! He's touching my glass of Vodka!" "I don't see your name anywhere on it, bud!" "Spill on aisle your face! KAkaaka!" "heh. enjoying your first day on the job, kid?" I groaned internally at Sans' taunting smirk and question as I sat down ten dirty dishes into the sink behind the bar counter. Grillby had retreated to the backroom to refill the Guard Dogs five bowls of water. It was my responsibility to 'hold the fort', as it were. And no matter how hard I tried to keep a firm smile on my face and kill our guests with kindness, Sans was _clearly_ enjoying my torment. _Sadistic bag of bones..._ Though, to answer his snide little comment, I simply turned around to face him, holding up a brand spanking new bottle of ketchup and sat it down next to his empty container as I smiled peacefully at him. "Actually, I'm having a blast! It's been a long time since I was truly busy." He frowned a bit, obviously not amused by my cheerful reply, "if a job's worth doing, it's too hard." He shrugged, popping the ketchup cap open before downing the contents onto his blue tongue. I stiffled a chuckle at the _very bad_ pun. "You do that on purpose, don't you?" I asked, earning myself a raised eyebrow (eye-bone? eye-brone? oh God, kill me now) from Sans. "do what?" He asked back. "Making puns. I'm terrible at them myself, but you're like an expert with them. You make many people, uh monsters, laugh. Even me. And I know he tries to hide it, but I've seen Papyrus laugh at your jokes too. Why do you do it?"  
  
Leaning over to slouch on the bar, Sans watched me quietly before answering, "something wrong with happiness, kid?" I shook my head but before I even got a chance to reply, he continued to speak, "if I don't, who will? that boring mecha paps is so fond of? he cares about his _own_ happiness and ratings. not about the rest of us." He lowered his gaze a bit as he kept on speaking, "i do this because someone has to keep our happiness growing. you realize that, don't you? because of that damn war, we are stuck down here. we want out, but will we ever get it? heh." He took a long swig of his ketchup, staring at me with a sunken look to his eyesockets. "highly doubt it. so, yeah. my jokes are stupid and the puns are lame. but they smile. the children smile. my brother _smiles._ isn't that reason enough, kid?" He blinked, stunned obviously, by the warm smile that graced on my face. "I was wrong about you, Sans." "eh?" I chuckled at his confusion but shrugged it off as I grabbed a clean glass and began refilling it with water for a customer near the entrance to the bar. "I said I was wrong about you. This whole time I thought I should be scared of you because of when we first met, but now that I think about it, I think I like you." His eye sockets grew wide as a blue hint flushed his cheekbones. "t-the heck, kid? i uh think you've stayed in this bar too long. the toxins are gettin' to ya and makin' you say shit." Another giggle escaped my throat as a reply to his words, "Maybe, but at least I'm not afraid of you anymore. I don't care how much you hate humans, or me for that matter. I'm gonna do my best to be your friend, Sans. That's a promise." I winked with a real grin on my face, lifted the bar's latch up to leave the counter and made my way to the entrance, glass of water in hand and a determined belief of friendship on my mind. _Grillby was right. Sans is just like any other guy. He needs a friend too and I'm more than happy to become his friend!  
  
_ Hours passed quickly as Grillby and I served the constant prattle of monsters, both big and small. We served drinks and grub, cleaned various messes, including vomit someone left on the hall leading to the restroom. It wasn't an exact eventful night to be sure, but once the last group of monsters left the building, Grillby flipped the 'Closed' sign on the door and dimmed the lights before making one last round of cleaning the tables. Once we were certain everything was spick and span, Grillby helped me lift the chairs up to set the upside down on their respective tables. "You're a fast learner, Frisk. I'm surprised you were able to handle how busy it got. It doesn't normally get that busy during the week." I smiled up at him, "It was fine, really! I was honestly afraid someone would pick a fight with me for being in a monster bar, but I was lucky heh." "grillbz won't let something like that happen in his bar." Sans replied from the bar behind me. I turned to face him, surprised that he hadn't left yet. "You're still here, Sans? It's been five hours. Isn't Papyrus going to worry?" He shrugged, "knowing my bro, he's probably still training with undyne. if anything, he'll be home later than i would tonight." Grillby stepped up beside me, tapping his foot against the hardwood in a small rythym. "Sans, do you remember what we talked about?" Sans groaned silently before pushing himself off of the stood and grabbed my hand roughly, pulling me along with him to the entrance of the bar. "H-huh? Wait, what's going on?" I tried to ask but got no word off of him. "Sweet dreams, Frisk." Grillby winked at me with a smirk before locking the door behind us as we pushed through the snow.  
  
"He talked you into forcing me to stay, didn't he?" I asked my skeletal captor, who grunted in reply before leaning against his front door to his house. "grillbz can be a pain in my ass, if i had one. but he's right." Sans sighed deeply, kicking the door open with his shoe. "get in, kid. you're sleepin' on the couch." I entered into their house and looked around. After my little feud with Sans this morning, I still felt an ominous air lingering around. "so...you mentioned something about wanting g for something else other than a room at the inn, right? what chya need it for then?" I glanced at the couch, noticing Sans had kicked off his slippers and lounged on the large cushion as he spoke to me. Sighing lightly, I walked over to him and calmly sat down at the opposite end. "I have to stay prepared, right? I don't know what's beyond Snowdin. And-" "you're lying again, kid." I frowned at his victorious smirk. Huffing another sigh, I faced him with a stern look. "Fine. I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours." Now it was his turn to frown, "i gots many secrets, kid. most you don't wanna know about." I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my head away. It was a childish move I grew accustomed to ever since I was a young girl, but none the less, it usually got me out of most situations. "Fine. Be stubborn. You won't tell, I won't tell. It's as simple as that." An annoyed sigh flew from his teeth before he replied, "alright alright! what do you want to know, brat?" "What happened to your parents?"  
  
Silence. More silence. Dead silence. "grillby told you about me and my bro, huh? figures." He sighed and looked away for a moment. "we don't....remember. alright?" "Are you saying that just to keep me from knowing or-" "i'm being serious, kid. papyrus and i, we can't remember _anything_ about our parents. got it? it's like...our memory was wiped clean. as far as i know, we never had parents. it's just me and him. that's how it ever was." _That doesn't make sense. What about the voice I keep hearing? He's a skeleton too, right?_ "now it's my turn." Sans glared back at me, "why the hell would you ask such a fucked up question?" "I-I" ~~NO!~~ I gasped, blinking a few times and looked around. ~~DON'T TELL HIM. Please, Frisk! I can't risk losing you if he finds out about me. Now is not the time!~~ Once again, I couldn't understand the skeleton's voice, but I could definitely sense the intense fear in his voice. _Is he telling me not to tell Sans about him? But....Damn it. I need help with this! This isn't fair. "_ oi, kiddo. you alright? you're making me worried over here." I hadn't even noticed Sans sliding closer to me on the couch. Nor did I notice his boney fingers graze against my shoulder softly. His thumb moved in circular motions, calming my emotions down bit by bit. "I-I....I have a...puzzle...that I need to complete." "the fuck? you think i'll believe you grew insanely pale as a ghost over a fucking puzzle? heh now you're starting to sound like my bro. stressin' over a dumb puzzle." He sighed deeply as he returned to lounging on his side of the couch, leaving his sensitive touch on my shoulder to linger over me. "aight. fine. i'll buy your lie. for now." He smirked, winking at me for a minute as Papyrus walked in from the doorway. Upon seeing us both on the couch, Papyrus grinned excitedly as he dashed over to me and lifted me up from the seat cushion to collide me with a huge embrace. "I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE, MY HUMAN FRIEND! DID YOU TELL SANS ABOUT OUR DATE? OH! WAIT THAT'S RIGHT. I HEARD THAT YOU GOT HIRED BY GRILLBY. YOU SURE THAT'S A GOOD IDEA? DO YOU KNOW HOW GREASY HIS FOOD IS?" "aw c'mon bro. grillbz' cookin' may be a little tank, but nothing beat your cookin', right?" Sans replied with a shrug. "NYEHEHE! FOR ONCE, I AGREE WITH YOU, BROTHER! SPEAKING OF, I SHOULD GET DINNER READY BEFORE THE LIGHTS GO OUT. THE BLIZZARD IS GOING TO BE HERE VERY SOON!"   
  
Watching quietly as Papyrus stormed off to the kitchen, along with the sound of rattling bones and pans, I glanced over to Sans to see him smiling at me. The smile he wore wasn't the typical sarcastic smirk he usually greeted me with. This one was more genuine, serene. Welcoming, even. He knew I was obviously lying, but for some reason, he was finally starting to trust me. Maybe. Returning his heartwarming smile with one of my own, I could feel my face heat up lightly, allowing my natural color to come back to my pale skin. _I'm glad he's warming up to me, but that voice... He sounded so scared. Would it really create consequences if I told Sans about the mystery skeleton's voice? And then there's what Sans said about his parents. I haven't seen any other skeleton in Snowdin, and none of the other monsters ever mentioned there being more. Are Sans and Papyrus the only two skeletons in the entire Underground? That...must be so lonely. No wonder Sans is so protective. But if that's so...then that voice... I wonder if he knows what happened to their parents? He's a skeleton too._ Sighing deeply as I watched Sans join his brother in the kitchen, I sat alone on the couch, fumbling with my apron as I contemplated silently on the events of my day. _Well, maybe my lie isn't a total lie. This is definitely a 'puzzle' to complete. That's for sure. First things first though. I need to earn up enough G to get that book!_


	4. Waking Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first night of staying with the skeleton brothers leaves Frisk having both ups and downs about the situation. After having troubling dreams about her father, she surprisingly gets her worries taken away by the one skeleton she never thought would befriend her. Next thing she knows, she eventually has to run a little errand for Grillby. Will her travels through Hotland leave a good impression on the human girl?

"ARE YOU SURE YOU WOULDN'T LIKE SECONDS, HUMAN? I HAVE MORE THAN PLENTY TO SHARE." Papyrus asked, holding up a large spoonful of his homemade spaghetti over the pot from the stove. Eating with the skeleton brothers, at their home, I found myself sitting at their dinner table, looking up at the  _towering_ kitchen sink (only God knows why that is like that). Though, no matter how my appetite may have faltered from the strange décor in the kitchen, I still had to figure out how to tell Papyrus that I could barely stomach his homemade meal. Granted, he  _did_ put a lot of love and effort into his cooking. Plus, it was adorable seeing him in a 'Kiss The Cook' apron. The apron itself was far too short for the tall skeleton, but it still brought a heartwarming smile to my face. As for the food, however.. Well, needless to say, it wasn't appetizing at all. It was edible, yes, but tasted very burnt. And I think I even tasted a bit of the pan's metal in the sauce. But, I just couldn't bring myself to tell him that I resisted the urge to eat his food. Instead, I nibbled what remnants that  _were_ edible, and smiled up at him with a satisfied grin. "No thank you, Papyrus. I'm full, heh. But thank you for the food. It was....l-lovely!" Snickering proudly with his gloved hands on his hips, Papyrus saluted myself and his food, grabbed my half-eaten plate and began cleaning it in the tall sink while I slid out of my chair and headed to the couch in the living room.   
  
"your lies are getting better, kid." Sans replied, smug grin forever on his skull. I sighed softly as I plopped down on the further end of the couch, trying to keep distance from the comic skeleton. My eyes were glued to the TV, frowning a bit at the picture of a dancing box (?) twirling in circles and talking about some kind of shoe product. I think. It was hard to understand exactly what was going on in the show. Every now and then, the screen would add a rating chart at the bottom of the screen and depending on how low or high the scale went, the box would react in strange ways. Be it twirling so fast, it becomes a tornado, or it would recite terrible poetry in a terrible Opera volume to get the ratings back up again. Blinking a few times at the flamboyant character on the TV screen, I couldn't help but to ask, "Is he gay?" Instantly and to be honest, completely unexpected of him, Sans burst into hysterical laughter. He held both of his sides, laughing uncontrollably even as he fell off of the couch to pound his gloved fist into the carpet repeatedly as he tried to breathe once more. "I-I didn't mean it as a joke, Sans!" I retorted with my face flushed in embarrassment. A good long minute or two passed from his laughter as he pulled himself up from the floor to plop down next to me (too close!) and pulled me closer to him by wrapping an arm behind my shoulders. "okay that's it. i'm keeping you. ha! oh man. gay? that's a good one. 'll need to write that one down for my next gig."   
  
I looked up at Sans, trying to pull away from him, as I asked, "What gig?" "MY BROTHER, THOUGH I LOATHE TO ADMIT IT, IS A COMEDIAN AT THE MTT RESORT, SOMETIMES. APART FROM BEING A HUMAN HUNTER, LIKE MYSELF, THAT IS." Papyrus answered, poking his head in from the kitchen door way with a dish towel and plate in hand. He must have been drying the dishes as he heard us talking. Sans simply shrugged as he replied, "the box on the screen over there is mettaton. he's the big shot who owns the mtt resort in hotland. though, me and him don't get along very well." Papyrus stood next to the TV, frowning at his brother, "THE ONLY REASON WHY METTATON DOESN'T LIKE YOU IS BECAUSE WHENEVER YOU ARE THERE, BROTHER, YOU ALWAYS TELL TERRIBLE JOKES ABOUT HIM! IT RUINS HIS IMAGE!" Sans 'rolled his eyes', smirking at his taller brother, "sorry, bro, but the guy never really caught my  _attention_ ." "SANS.." "besides, his show is  _pun_ ishment enough." "SANS!" "and really, he gave me no  _tension_ to  _de tail_ ." Sans' grin grew as a furious orange glow radiated across Papyrus' cheekbones. "NYEEEEEEEH!!!!!" With a hard stomp of his foot and a loud roar, Papyrus chased after his pun-loving brother, who in return, ran away laughing as he hid away quickly to his bedroom, locking the door instantly once the door was shut. "GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW, SANS! THIS IS THE FINAL STRAW!" "sorry, bro. don't got no  _bendy straws_ with me." He replied from his bedroom, adding another loud 'NYEH!' from his fuming brother.   
  
I, on the other hand, couldn't help but to laugh at the scene. "HUMAN! DON'T LAUGH! YOU'LL ONLY BOOST HIS EGO!" Papyrus' words only made my laughter grow as I held onto my sides, giggling happily.  _How long had it been since I truly laughed like this? It felt almost...right to be sitting here. Laughing with these two skeletons._ "OH NO! SANS! YOU BROKE THE HUMAN AGAIN!" With a crack open from his door, Sans poked his head out to peer at me in the living room. In deed, my face was red and tears were rolling down my cheeks as I fought my fits of laughter, kicking my feet against the carpet as I tried desperately to breathe again. Sans leaned his arms on the railing of the staircase, smirking from above me as his brother glared at him with a look of disapproval. "dunno, bro. she looks fine to me. about to  _burst_ , in fact." I gasped as another wave of laughter caused me to grab the nearest pillow and bury my face into its fabric as I giggled into the fluffy cushion. "SANS! STOP IT! SHE DOESN'T LOOK TOO GOOD. HUMANS NEED TO BREATHE, RIGHT? HAVEN'T YOU MADE HER LAUGH ENOUGH?" Papyrus ran down the steps and quickly began rubbing his hand in circles on my back. Sans, however, simply shrugged as he slowly returned to the living room. Standing nearby, he began scratching the back of his head as he spoke, "eh, sorry kiddo. didn't realize you had a limit." Finally finding my breath, I lifted my face from the pillow and smiled at the funny skeleton, "Hehehe Hmm it's okay, Sans. I enjoyed laughing. It's been too long since I laughed like that, so actually, I think I should thank you." He blinked, frowning slowly, "....what?" "I AGREE, HUMAN. I TOO AM CONFUSED. WHATEVER DO YOU MEAN?" Papyrus asked, sitting next to me on the couch.   
  
"Um well, back up on the surface, I never really had the time to laugh or make jokes. I was always busy cleaning the house or tending to some other menial chore." I answered, thinking back to my life above. If I was still up there, and had not decided to run to Mount Ebbot, it is most likely possible that I'd be to my shoulders deep in loads of laundry. Last I remember, our washer broke last week. Father had ordered me to hand wash all of the laundry. Then we found out that there was pollution in our water tank, so whenever I added detergent to the water, it'd create mucky stains in the clothing. Father...wasn't happy. I remember, that night, he...strapped me to my bed, face down onto the covers with my wrists and ankles tied to the wooden stubs at each corner of the bed.....naked. Stark naked. The memory still taunts me. My father never raped me. But that doesn't mean he hadn't tried. That night he tied me to the bed naked, his intentions were to carve more scars and burns into my flesh. It is nothing more than a burden and heavy reminder of a life I must bear. Every night since childhood I asked myself  _'Why do I deserve this? What did I do to deserve this? I've done everything and more that he has asked of me. Aren't I a good daughter? When will he stop this? When will I truly be happy?'_ By the time I turned sixteen, I stopped asking these countless questions over and over again. I decided that my life was shaped for me. Whether I deserved it or not, it didn't matter. There was no use in complaining about it. There was no way I could ever change it. Even being here, in the Underground, is probably nothing more than a temporary blip in my life. A...dream, as it were.    
  
"HUMAN? A-ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU'RE CRYING.." Papyrus' words snapped me out of my memories, earning my watery gaze to return to see him and Sans both looking at me with concern in their eye sockets. "kiddo.. I know my jokes are bad, but by asgore, kid. 've never made someone cry sadly for my puns." I chuckled softly, rubbing my tear stained cheeks with the back of my hand as I shook my head. "I-It's not that. Heh. I was just having bad thoughts. But um even so I think I'll go wash my face now. Um w-where's your restroom?" I asked Papy, who nodded and led me to the restroom across from the kitchen. He asked me if I needed a fresh wash cloth, but I told him I'd be fine. Returning to the living room, Papyrus watched as Sans slouched on the couch, turning off the TV, and crossed his arms over his chest. "did you see that look on her face? it was terror. pure terror in her eyes." Sans mumbled, but Papyrus could clearly hear him well. Sitting next to him, fumbling with the dishrag in his hands, Papyrus asked, "BROTHER... WHY WAS THE HUMAN CRYING? IT WASN'T LIKE WHEN SHE WAS LAUGHING MOMENTS AGO. IT... LOOKED PAINFUL TO SEE HER CRY LIKE THAT." Sans looked up to his brother and frowned, "dunno, bro." Papyrus pondered for a long moment before he stood up, a proud fist on his chest in a heroic pose, "I DON'T WANT TO SEE HER LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN IN THIS HOUSE, SANS. I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE IT OUR GOAL TO MAKE HER SMILE MORE! A REAL SMILE. BESIDES, I LIKE HER LAUGHTER. IT WARMS MY HEART. DON'T YOU FEEL THAT WAY TOO WHEN SHE LAUGHS?" Sans sat silently, thinking,  _'d be lyin' if i didn't agree with him. the kid...is definitely different from before. she hasn't killed anyone. not even tried. why? she's been curious, kind and full of joy... i don't get it. this isn't right. it's like a dream. i hate this.  who the hell is this kid? i bet it's another fuckin' trick. messing with us like this... shit. there's no way i'll be able to sleep tonight._   
  
"SANS?" Papyrus poked his brother's shoulder lightly, frowning by the silence in the room. "eh? ah yeah, bro? sorry. just thinkin'. might head to bed now. it's getting late. did you want me to read you another story before bed, bro?" Sans replied, obviously wanting to avoid the main topic. Lucky for him, Papyrus' grin quickly returned to his skull. "WOWIE! I ALMOST FORGOT! OH! BUT BEFORE THAT, I NEED TO MAKE MY BED FOR THE HUMAN!" Sans' frown returned, along with a bead of sweat (how???), before speaking with a nervous chuckle, "uh heh, bro? didn't think you'd just hand over your bed to a human." Papyrus shook his head, grin evident on his face, "WELL, I CAN'T HAVE HER SNOOZING ON THE COUCH LIKE A CERTAIN LAZYBONES I KNOW. I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE MY BED WITH HER!" If it were ever possible for his skull to become more pale than it was now, Sans would have looked like a dead skeleton at the mere thought of his baby brother sharing a bed with a possible crazy human. The idea was enough to shatter his soul, if he'd let it. But Sans was determined to avoid such a blasphemous thing to happen. "not happening, bro." "WHAT? DON'T TELL ME YOU PLAN ON HAVING HER USE YOUR ROOM, BROTHER? YOUR ROOM IS A MESS!" Papyrus replied, shock plain on his face. Once more, Sans shook his head, "just let her use the couch. she even said so. she's fine with it." Papyrus was about to retort back, but stopped as I stepped out of the restroom. "He's right, Papy. I don't mind using the couch. Besides, I'm the guest after all. I am intruding enough as is." "ARE YOU SURE, HUMAN? MY BED IS LONG ENOUGH FOR THE BOTH OF US AND I'M POSITIVE YOU'D LOVE THE STORY OF FLUFFY BUNNY!" I blinked once at Papyrus' comment.  _Fluffy Bunny? Just how old is Papyrus?_ Nonetheless, I kept my smirk firm on my face as I replied, "I'm sure. Maybe some other time I'll listen to the story. I think I just uh ate too much of your cooking. I'm tired now."  _I hope he buys that lie. Apart from his brother, Papyrus is quite gullible._ After a long moment of silence, Papyrus reluctantly agreed. "ALRIGHT, HUMAN. BUT AT LEAST TAKE MY TRUSTY SIDEKICK, MR. BEAR, TO PROTECT YOU AGAINST BAD DREAMS!" Before I had a chance to ask just what the heck he was referring to, Papyrus dashed into his bedroom and quickly returned with a stuffed animal in his clutches. The toy was a stuffed teddy bear. Brown in 'fur', little beady buttons for eyes and one of the ears was folded in a weird way.  _Oh wait! It looks like it was sewn wrong. I wonder if the ear was torn by accident or something?_ Smiling softly at the adorable stuffed animal, I grabbed the toy into my hands and beamed at Papyrus with a warm grin. "Thank you, Papyrus. You're so kind to look out for me." I giggled lightly as I noticed a faint red-orange crease present itself upon Papyrus' cheekbones. Giggling like a schoolgirl with a fistful of 'NYEHEHEH', Papyrus snatched his brother under his arms and returned to his bedroom once again, slamming the door behind him in a rush. Most likely ready for a bedtime story of whoever this 'Fluffy Bunny' character is.   
  
"You deserve this and you know it, you damn fuck up." My father's voice echoed within my memory. It was another figment of my imagination, created into my mind to burn eternal torture onto the remnants of my innocence. I cowered in the farthest corner of my room, crying silent tears. I avoided sobbing loudly. If I ever peeped a sound from my room, made my presence known at any time of the day, father would come in again and 'silence' me. His methods would always involve burning something into my skin. It didn't matter if it was his cigar or grabbing my hand over the gas stove. Though, this time, the reason why I cowered in hesitant fear in my darkened room was because of my ultimate mistake: I ran away from home. I never got the chance to even reach Mount Ebbot. My future, my salvation, shone in front of me. Looming up ahead like a mountain made for Gods. Even the Sun itself could not compare to the beautiful greenery of the constant forests littered upon the mountainous terrain.  _If only he hadn't caught me. If only I could have taken another route! I was so close!_ My heart raced as my pained red stained eyes drifted to the fresh cuts tattooed into my flesh. The scars were innumerable to me. There were far too many to count. He had used a heated blade this time. A steak knife, I believe. He must have had it sitting in the fireplace again. Flinching harshly to the deepest wound on my hip, I struggled to sit comfortably as my attention returned to the massive blood stain in my carpet. My hip wound was created as father used the heated steak knife, digging and twisting into my hip. "I'll make sure you  _never_ run again, you fucking bitch!" My voice quivered as I suppressed another sob, gulping away through the large lump in my throat.  _How long had I been screaming through the pain? Minutes? Hours?...……..Years?_ I felt my tears roll down my cheeks at the thought, aiding the only speck of kindness in my life, leaving a cool trail to soothe the heated flesh. The reality of the situation had struck me hard. I couldn't even get the chance to explain to father that the only reason why I ran was to prove my innocence. He wouldn't have cared anyway.    
  
Suddenly to my surprise, a loud slam echoed through the house as I jumped against the corner of the room. Gasping in a hushed whisper, I contemplated whether or not I should look outside of my room to find out what the sound was. Unfortunately for me, I didn't even need to try. My bedroom door instantly burst open with my father looming in the doorway. His face was flushed red with a sinister grin on his face. He wore no shirt, revealing his obvious beer belly, and a pair of stained slacks, pushed far too low for comfort. My fear returned in my chest, my heart thumping loud warning signs in my head repeatedly. I knew what he was going to do. And from the look in his eyes, he wasn't going to pass out from alcohol overload this time. "Come here, bitch. I'm not finished with you yet." His voice seethed like venom in the air as he stalked closer into my room. I stiffened in my blood stained spot. Not even my silent whimpers were enough to persuade him to leave me to my suffering. Obviously annoyed that I hadn't obeyed his command, father stomped two large steps into my room directly towards me and snatched a handful of my hair, pulling me roughly to my bed in a fit of rage. "Do as I tell you, damn fuck up!" He roared, pinning me onto my bed as he began tearing my clothing in shreds.  _Oh god! H-he's actually going to do it this time! I-I don't want this to happen! No!_   "P-Papa! P-please!" I tried to beg, but only to get a back handed slap from my predator over me. "Shut up! I'll make you feel  _real_ pain for leaving me!" He spat into my face as he tried ripping my bra to unfasten. "N-no!" "kid! damn it, wake up already!"   
  
Gasping loudly, feeling frozen sweat dripping from my temple only to cascade down my neck, I blink, now wide awake, as I come face to face with Sans. He was standing above me, shaking me, most likely to get me to wake up. "shit, kid! don't scare me like that. you were thrashing around and gasping to breathe.....you okay, kiddo?" It took me a long moment to finally realize that everything that had just happened was all a dream. Looking to my chest, I noticed that I was still clothed and there wasn't any new scars from a knife at all on my body. Turning my attention to the room around me, I blinked as I figured that I was still in the skeleton brother's home, sleeping in their living room. My pillow was covered with cold sweat and Sans was kneeled next to me, a look of fearful concern evident on his skull.  _Holy...I-it was...just a dream?! Oh God...I really am scared to go back home. Do I regret leaving that much?_ I took in a couple of deep, shaky, breaths before I nodded slightly to reassure Sans that I was alright. "Y-yeah. I-I'm fine now."  _God! Even my voice sounds strained! It's like I have been screaming for hours. How long had I been asleep?_ "just a couple of hours." Sans answered as he plopped down next to me, holding my sweat drenched pillow carefully. I must have been speaking my thoughts out loud. It's a bad habit of mine when I'm under pressure. "S-sorry." I mumbled softly as I stared at the wet pillow.   
  
Sans shrugged as he tossed the pillow to the wall, letting it bounce off the wall to land next to one of Sans' dirty socks on the floor. We sat in silence for what felt like an hour before I spoke up to break the silence, "I-I'm sorry for waking you." "you didn't. couldn't sleep." He replied quietly, sighing softly as he kicked the TV's remote controller with his feet lightly. He seemed distracted. Perhaps he was frightened about my nightmare? "O-oh. Uh...did you have too much on your min-" "does he always force himself on you?" He asked all of a sudden. My heart skipped a beat as I knew silently as to what he was referring to. My eyes looked away, avoiding his curious gaze, as I fumbled with my words, "I...what are you...?" "'m guessing your dad is an ass whole, right? you were talkin' in your sleep, kid." He was quiet for a while before, though hesitant, he lifted his right hand and placed it on my knee gently. "he's not here. you're....ugh can't believe 'm saying this, but kiddo...you're safe here."  _Why does he always look so scared to become my friend? He's resisting so much. I wonder..does Sans even have many friends?_ Feeling it necessary, I looked at him with a smile, placing my own hand on top of his. "Thank you, Sans. I'm sorry to make you worry." A flash of blue rushed across his cheeks for a split second, though I was lucky enough to catch onto it before it, just as quickly, faded away. "'m not that worried, kiddo. My bro would freak if he saw you thrashin' around like a fish outa water." I giggled softly, " _Water_ you talkin' about? There's nothing  _fishy_ about me." Returning my cheesy grin with his traditional smirk, Sans replied, "you sure you wanna pun against me, kiddo? wouldn't wanna  _sea_ you tremblin' over my insane pun skills." He winked playfully, earning a hearty chuckle from me.   
  
For probably two long hours into the late night, I shared a silly pun war with Sans. Though, it was obvious that he had won the 'war'. My skills in jokes and puns are  _terrible_ . Though, considering how fast he got to take my mind off of the nightmare, Sans even offered teaching me some good ideas for puns. Once it got closer to 2 in the morning (I still don't know how they can tell time down here), Sans had seemed more at ease around me, so I decided to try to ask once again, "So, Sans, you said earlier that you couldn't sleep, right? Did you have a nightmare too?" He was silent for a moment, his eye sockets trained onto the TV screen until he nodded lightly. "yeah... get 'em all the time." I blinked, frowning lightly. "A-All...the time?" He sighed deeply, looking over at me, "don't tell my bro, kay? you know him. he's the worrying type. if he found out that I have trouble sleepin'..." I nodded, putting the pieces together in my mind, before I spoke quietly, "Alright. I promise. But...You need to rest too." I took a moment to think before shyly asking him, "It's silly to ask but um.. since we both can't sleep tonight...um would you like to share the couch with me?" Sans stared at me with wide, almost empty, eye sockets before a slow sly grin appeared on his skull. "heh. never thought you were the type to cuddle with a bag o' bones, kid."   
  
Hours ticked away. Neither Sans nor I even noticed the change in time, telling us that morning had come, until Papyrus snuck around us and into the kitchen to begin fixing breakfast. Once he had our plates prepared, Papyrus tapped my shoulder gently as he 'whispered', "PSSST. HUMAN. WAKE UP. IT'S 6 IN THE MORNING AND I MADE BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI FOR YOU." Rubbing my eyes with a soft groan, I lifted myself slowly, only to stop and blink in confusion as I feel a weight pulling on my waist. Looking down, I blush lightly at who was holding me down to the couch. At one point or another, Sans had most likely fallen asleep on my lap, pulling me down onto the couch with him. In other words, Sans was literally my blanket last night. My blush grew as I came to the sudden realization.  _Oh my God! Papyrus must think Sans and I did something er...strange last night. Oh boy..._ "mm..? five more minutes, bro.." Sans mumbled into my chest, making my face glow a brighter red. "NO, NOT FIVE MORE MINUTES! I HAVE TO GO MEET WITH UNDYNE FOR TRAINING AND THE HUMAN HAD A PHONE CALL FROM GRILLBY!" Papyrus tapped his foot impatiently. Both Sans and I looked up at Papyrus with a stunned look on our faces as I asked, "Wait, really? Grillby called? What did he say?" "HE WANTED ME TO ASK YOU TO COME IN TO WORK AFTER YOU'VE HAVE BREAKFAST. HE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT NEEDING YOUR HELP WITH SOMETHING." Papyrus answered before he grabbed his large red boots from the closet by the front door. Returning my gaze to my skeleton-made blanket, my embarrassed flush of red simmered on my cheeks until he slowly pulled away, a tint of blue kissing his cheekbones in reflection to my own humility.  _Figured it out, have you, Sans?_   
  
Shaking my teasing thoughts quickly from my mind, I stood up and walked to the kitchen. "Thank you for everything, Papy. I should hurry, huh?" I chuckled softly as I looked at the plate of spaghetti.  _Spaghetti? A-again? Does Papyrus know how to cook only spaghetti? Oh my God. Someone should give him a cook book!_ None the less, I had no choice but to eat, what I could, of the Italian dish. Grillby was most likely waiting for me. Within minutes, I scarfed down the noodles, fighting the bland taste of burned sauce and meatballs, before running passed Sans in the doorway to grab my shoes. I hadn't even noticed he was watching me eat. As for Papyrus, he must have left for training while I ate as well. "want me to walk ya there?" Sans asked, slipping his feet into his pink slippers slowly. "Oh! That's kind of you, but I think I'll be fine if I run. Oh, wait. I didn't think about the blizzard last night. I hope there isn't any ice on the ground." I blinked, frowning, as I fought with my shoelaces. "heh." Appearing to my side, Sans held out his hand with a wink in his eye. "follow me, kid. know a shortcut." Blinking once in confusion, I decided to accept his hand as he pulled me up from the floor and we walked out the front door. And instantly into Grillby's Bar.   
  
"W-what?" I gasped, turning around to the entrance of the bar to looking back to the mischievous grinning skeleton who led me here. "H-How?! T-The bar is a few blocks away! H-How did you-" He simply shrugged in reply before walking to the bar. "don't mention it kid. seriously." Sans chuckled as he waved to Grillby, who entered from the back room. "Ah, you're here. That was faster than I thought." Grillby nodded to me as he popped open a new ketchup bottle for Sans. I stood in stunned silence as I reflected on what the heck just happened.  _No, really! What the heck just happened?! I remember taking his hand and walking out of the house but how did we skip traversing through the snow and people? Ugh I must have really not slept well if I can't even concentrate on my surroundings that well._ Figuring I had just been lacking sleep, I shrugged off the confusion, for now, and instead returned my attention to my flaming boss. "Papyrus said you called for me?" I asked, standing at the bar. With a nod of his burning head, Grillby explained while handing me a slip of thin white paper, "I need you to go to the MTT Resort as retrieve these boxes for me. I was suppose to have them a few days ago, but they must have had problems with their delivery service again. Just ask Burgerpants about them and he'll get 'em for you." Grabbing the slip of paper and glancing my eyes over the list, I tilted my head at the mention of the name.  _What kind of name is 'Burgerpants'?_ "you really think that's a good idea, grillbz? just because she got on my bro's good side doesn't mean she'll have that luxury with undyne." Sans mumbled after a loud gulp from his red condiment-drink. "She won't meet with Undyne if she takes River Person's boat to Hotland." Grillby replied. "just lemme take her. 'm faster than that guy anyway." Sans offered, causing Grillby to cross his arms over his chest, "Now  _this_ is a surprise. As lazy as you are, you're  _actually_ willing to do something? Didn't think you were into humans, Sans." The short skeleton flinched and looked away as he mumbled a low, "'dat's not what it is, grillbz…" My own thoughts, however, were not on my concerns of traveling, but of something else, "Um, I've been meaning to ask. Who is Undyne?"   
  
Both males looked over at me, silent for a moment before Grillby replied, "She's the head Guard of the Royal Family. She is stationed in Waterfall, which is between here and Hotland. Usually, if the River Person's boat is occupied, you would have to travel through Waterfall to get there. Luckily though, he seems to be available. You can reach his boat on the northern path from the back alleyway." I shook my head, "That's not what I meant. You two speak as if she is someone I should stay away from. Is she really that dangerous? Papyrus is her friend, right?" "just cause she's my bro's pal don't mean she'll like humans, kid." Sans replied, taking another sip of his ketchup. "She hates humans?" I asked, earning a shake of both of their heads. "I doubt it's as simple as that, Sweets." Grillby replied, continuing, "It's her duty to capture humans and take them to the King. But, she does have a history of being a little bit...well, rough with her enemies. I'm honestly shocked Papyrus is still attempting to join her rally of Guard dogs." Sans chuckled as he licked a drop of ketchup from his teeth. "that's my bro for ya. coolest guy ever." "Yeah yeah." Grillby mumble, sighing deeply before turning his attention back to me. "Anyway, you should probably go ahead to the river up north of here. There is a back alleyway behind my bar. Take that road and you'll meet the River Person. And don't worry about cost. His rides are free." I smiled softly at my boss before heading to the backdoor, only to be stopped by Sans as he spoke up. "just let me take her. it's faster that way." "No, Sans. I actually need you here. There's something I've been wanting to ask you about." Grillby replied, arms crossed over his chest yet again. "then just ask. it's no big deal." Sans said with a hint of impatience in his voice. "It's about Papyrus." Grillby muttered, earning silence from the skeleton. Looking back at me, Grillby waved me along, most likely wanting me to get out of here so he could speak with Sans alone.   
  
Stepping out of the backdoor into the alleyway Grillby had mentioned, I rubbed my hands together, breathing a puff of warm air into my palms, before walking north as instructed. Snow crunched around me as I passed by a couple of houses, waving to a monster here or there, before I came up towards a running river. Standing by the river was a person, I believe, shrouded from head to toe in a black cape complete with a black hood. I couldn't even see the being's face. It held a paddle in its hand and nodded to me as I approached. "U-Um are you the...River Person?" I asked with a timid stutter in my voice. It wasn't exactly because of the chill in the air, but because I was cautious of this person.  _Grillby spoke of this guy as if he knew him. Maybe I should trust this guy then? After all, both Sans and Grillby said it's Undyne I have to be careful of. But would it really be so bad to meet her? I mean, Papyrus seems to like her. And if Papyrus is friends with her, why can't I?_ Taking a step back, the River Person held a hand out to me. Well, more like he lifted his sleeve for me to grasp. But, reluctant as I was, he didn't seem to mind my hesitation as I slowly accepted his extended 'hand' and allowed him to help me into the boat. Careful as to not tip the boat into the water, I slide into a decent spot and look around at the snow drifting from above our heads. Silence over took our gentle boat ride as the River Person used his paddle to push us away from the snowy dock and began to direct the boat against the current. "U-Um if you don't mind, could you please take me to Hotland? I-I have a delivery to make." The River Person nodded, picking up a bit of speed as he paddled through the water.   
  
Our journey across the river was actually far more pleasant than I imagined. The chill air of Snowdin dissipated quickly as we soared gently through the waves. Though I barely had the chance to take the time to notice Waterfall, I did manage to hear the rustling flow of water cascading through the distance.  _I guess that's where the name comes from._ Apart from that, I did notice tiny sparkles throughout the cave.  _Is it crystals or something? I'm not sure but whatever it is, I love how they reflect! It's like they twinkle!_ But our peaceful ride soon became odd as I heard the River Person mumble a soft "Tralala. Beware the man who speaks in hands." Looking over from gazing at the passing environment, I turn my attention to the boat's driver in confusion, "I beg your pardon?" Though, my question never got any reply as we soon pulled in to a new destination. Pressing the boat up against a sandy pier, the River Person helped me out of the boat once more as I stepped onto the sandy terrain. The moment I stepped foot onto the pier, I blinked in realization as I noticed a wave of heat rush over me.  _Woah! It's hot! It's almost like Summer weather in here! How is that possible?_ Glancing to my right, I read a sign over my head reading 'Welcome to Hotland' in big flashy letters. Below it was a set of directions indicating where to go in Hotland. Smiling softly, I turn around and bowed respectfully to the River Person. "Thank you for the ride, mister." The River Person nodded once again before returning to his boat and waving his sleeve with a soft movement before replying, "Tra la la. Come again soon."   
  
_He was nice. A little quiet and strange. But nice. I wonder why he doesn't demand payment for his services?_ Walking away from the pier, I make my way south and looked around for the signs. Once I found a location marker, I read that the MTT Resort was nearby. Moving in its direction, I silently contemplated over what the boys were saying before I left the bar.  _I wonder if everything is alright? Grillby said it was important and having to do with Papyrus, right?_ "Come one, come all and see Mettaton's latest show.." A male voice 'chanted' out to passerby monsters. Well, chanted is probably the wrong word. Maybe 'spoken with a terribly bored voice' makes more sense. Following the sound of the voice, I soon found a cat monster wearing a bright orange get-up from head to toe. On his head sat a small orange hat with a dark orange 'M' sewn into the fabric. Feeling curious, I walk up to the cat creature, "Excuse me, sir?" "Enh?" He muttered, glancing at me with a twitching smirk. "Scram, little buddy. A kid like you shouldn't hang out here or else the big cheese will snatch you up and pepper you down with glitter." I tilted my head at his words, obvious confusion on my face. "W-what?" I asked. "Never mind. What do you want? A burger?" He sighed as he leaned against the wall of a tall building. I hadn't even noticed how flamboyant the building was. Flashing lights and signs were tattooed in various windows of the building, some including names of restaurants and show gig timings. I even saw a listing for Sans' Comedy segment. There were even some monsters hanging around outside of the building, pointing at the signs excitedly.    
  
Smiling at the cat-monster, I shook my head before speaking, "No thank you. Actually I was sent by Grillby for some items. Do you know where I can find a Mr. Burgerpants?" He groaned at the name before he stepped aside from the entrance to the building. "I seriously wish they'd stop calling me that.." I blinked, tilting my head lightly, "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you." He groaned again and waved me into the building. "Just get in. Mettaton has been yelling at me to get the stuff out of here, so you better hurry. It's in the back." He guided me through various hallways and one fancy restaurant before finally leading me to a storage compartment. There were boxes stacked to the ceiling, many labeled costumes, décor, hamburgers and more. These were most likely used for the Resort. Burgerpants walked in after I entered and grabbed a box with a label saying 'To Grillby's'. "Tell him we are sorry for the late shipment. Mettaton had offered to give ya'll a bunch of pamphlets for his newest show, some cooking bullshit..., and he gives his condolences." I nodded my head as I took the box, which was slightly heavy, from the male cat monster. He looked like he hated working there so much. "Hey, um are you okay? Er...if you don't mind me asking, what's your real name?" I asked as I balanced the box in my arms. The male cat monster blinked and struggled with his words, looking embarrassed for one second, followed by a smug grin and then a worried look before he sighed, defeated, and answered with a meek voice. "T...Tom. It's Tom Cat." I smiled softly at him before I replied calmly, "Nice to meet you, Tom. My name is Frisk." He blinked, looking completely stunned as if he couldn't believe his ears. "Y...You're.... _actually_ being kind to me? R-Really?! O-Oh man, little buddy." He gulped and cleared his throat before quickly putting on a 'I'm-a-cool-man' façade on his face. "Heh. You know what, little buddy? You ain't that bad. Keep bein' you and stay away from those big shots upstairs. They don't deserve your kindness." I chuckled at his words as he continued once more. "By the way. Come by again some time, won't chya? Just between me and you, I'll give you a discount on burgs. Got it, little buddy?" He tried to flash a cool wink, but fumbled with it and instead just gave me a weak smirk.   
  
"Hehe. He was a nice guy." I giggled softly to myself as I hefted the box of alcoholic beverages in my arms. A few times I had to set the box down to rest my arms, but I eventually had gotten use to the pain in my arms as I continued back to the sandy pier. Though, once I got there, I noticed that the River Person had vanished.  _Maybe he is sending someone to somewhere._ Setting the box down, I glanced around me and found a sign post with a map. Reading over it, I contemplated my choices.  _If I stay here, I don't know how long it might take for him to return. This map says I could travel through Waterfall. No idea how long it'll take though, considering that I'd never been there before. And didn't Sans and Grillby say something about Undyne being stationed in Waterfall?_ Minutes ticked away slowly as I sat on the sandy dunes, feeling the heat rush over me as if it were crawling from beneath my feet. I sighed deeply as I began tapping my fingers along the box, impatiently. Though, as lucky as it was, my phone I had received from Toriel had begun to chime musically.  _T-Toriel?! But she said she wouldn't stay in contact!_ Feeling a rush of excitement flow through me, I blink in surprise as I read 'PAPYRUS' in bright lettering on the screen. "W-what?"   
  
PAPYRUS: HUMAN! I HEARD FROM MY BROTHER THAT YOU HAD A DELIVERY TO RETRIEVE. ARE YOU STILL IN HOTLAND?   
  
Me: Papy? How did you get my number? I don't remember giving it to you last night.   
  
PAPYRUS: OH! YOU DIDN'T. HEH I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND. I SAW YOU SNUGGLING WITH MY BROTHER ON THE COUCH THIS MORNING AND I SAW YOUR PHONE. I FIGURED THAT SINCE WE ARE FRIENDS, HUMAN, IT'D BE WISE TO GIVE YOU MY DIGITS! NYEHE!   
  
Me: hehe I don't mind at all, Papy! Oh that's right! I'm still in Hotland. I finished grabbing Grillby's delivery, but the River Person hasn't come back yet. What should I do?   
  
PAPYRUS: HMM NORMALLY, I'D ASK MY BROTHER TO HELP YOU OUT BUT I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND HIM. THAT DARN LAZYBONES. HE'S ALWAYS MISSING WHEN I NEED HIM MOST! NYEH... OH! BUT THERE SHOULD BE A PATH LEADING YOU THROUGH WATERFALL! JUST KEEP GOING WEST AND YOU'LL MAKE IT TO SNOWDIN IN NO TIME! NYEHE!   
  
Me: But what about Undyne?   
  
PAPYRUS: DON'T WORRY! NYEHEH! I TOLD UNDYNE ALL ABOUT YOU! SHE IS EAGER TO MEET YOU!   
  
Me: I...wait really?   
  
PAPYRUS: OFCOURSE! NOW HURRY HOME! I'M GETTING STARTED ON DINNER AND I WANNA SHOW YOU MY FAVORITE SHOW!   
  
_Papyrus isn't the type of skeleton to lie. I should trust his judgement._ Smiling softly as I sent a final text confirming my decision, I quickly stood up, stashed my phone back into my pocket and grabbed the box into my arms before I began walking down the path he told me to take. It wasn't long before I began to see where all of the heat was coming from. There was  _literal_ glowing red-orange lava boiling below the rock and sands of Hotland.  _Well, now I know where the name came from._ But what seemed to pique my interest the most was seeing metal tubing coming out of the lava in various directions. Some of them even lead to buildings in the area. Was that really a safe idea to make? How can lava be a reliable source down here?  _Wait. What am I thinking? The moment I fell down here, I had met monsters of every variety, snow and blizzards and who knows what else! If anything, I'm more surprised they need to use the environment around them to keep them alive rather than relying on their magic. Maybe monsters aren't so different from humans after all._   
  
Though, no matter how far my mind wandered off, my attention quickly focused on the path ahead of me as I noticed the environment change. The heat of the lava below me faded into a calm luke-warm sensation over my skin. Next, my eyes drifted over the sandy path change into rocks pebbling over darkened grass. Dew grazed against my ankles as I walked next to these beautiful blue glow of mushrooms. A simple tap from my shoes would make the mushrooms radiate their soft hue a tint or two brighter, providing aid for my vision in the darkened cave. Normally, I would have been terrified of the darkness surrounding me. Being sheltered in a cave, overcome by darkness and monsters. It should be a living nightmare, right? But for some odd reason...I just can't seem to grasp onto that expected fear. I look around this place, live and sleep in this place, and I feel....home. Heck, not even that! I feel safer than being at home! Home for me was a drunken man who would belittle my existence with cigars and blades. But down here, I live an existence with people, not minding the fact that they are monsters, that greet me with a smile and kindness. Magic greets me in more ways than one, which greatly expands my expectations. I live each day as if it's all a dream, and the only thing I'm afraid of...is waking up from this dream. Though, as lost in my mind as I was, my thoughts shatter before me as I felt an instant spark of energy (magic?) flash in front of me. Dropping my balance for only a moment, I quickly stumble with the box in my hands as I stare in shock at the bright blue spear piercing the grass a foot away from me.  _W-what the? A-A spear?! Where did it come from?!_ I gasped softly as I glanced around once I noticed the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. "So, punk.  _You're_ the human Paps warned me about." A scruffy female voice echoed from the darkness. Taking a step closer, I noticed it was a woman clad from head to toe in a heavy metal suit of armor. Only her long bright red hair draped itself freely from her helmet. In her left hand she grasped tightly to another blue spear.  _That spear.. Wait, Papy talked to her? Then...s-she's..._ Growling with another step closer to me, the red-headed monster pointed her spear at me before speaking with a hiss to her voice, "Alright, punk. Enough games. You're coming with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I know. Burgerpants' name isn't Tom Cat. At least I don't think it is. I honestly have no idea. If someone knows his real name, let me know and I'll fix it. I was just going with the flow of things lol


	5. Something Smells Fishy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After somehow surviving a battle from Undyne, Frisk finds herself a special little treasure to aid her in her journey. Though, her fear of the fish monster is to be the least of her worries when she realizes just what is so special about her piece of treasure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the wait everyone! I had a minor case of writer's block! I guess I just need a bit more inspiration to kick it into gear. Hehe

"you sure you heard right, grillbz? my bro never said anything about a flower talking to him." Sans asked, setting his now-empty bottle of ketchup back down onto the wooden plank of the bar. He sat alone with Grillby after the human girl had left to run her errand. Though, Sans was hesitant to let her leave. He knew how Undyne could be, if the human girl were to run into the fishy lady. But now Sans had something _else_ to worry about? Someone was using Echo Flowers to say something...odd to Papyrus? For a split moment, fear rushed through the short skeleton's mind. w _hat if it's that damn genocidal brat? it never acted this way. shit. is the kid just testing my nerves now? fucking bitch! swear to asgore, the kid is gonna fry if he's messin' with my bro! damn brother killer..._ "Sans? Sans, did you hear me?" Grillby asked, tossing a dish rag over the fuming skeleton's skull in an attempt to gain his attention once again. "eh? ah sorry, grillbz. what was that?" Sans muttered, flicking the rag off of his face to reflect one of his traditional shit eating grins to the flaming monster, who only responded with a grunt and shake of his head. "I was saying that your brother thought it was odd. He had never met a flower monster before." "wait, what? a flower monster had been speaking to him? ya sure it's not just some other kind of monster using echo flowers to mess with him?" Sans asked, looking a little more than worried for his brother. Another shrug from the bartender before Sans lowered his gaze to the empty ketchup bottle on the bar. Too many thoughts roamed his skull, adding more terrifying conclusions to his rattled mind. "damn it.. knew I couldn't trust her.."   
  
Silence embraced the room before Grillby cleared his throat, speaking in a questionable tone of voice, "You think Frisk had something to do with this? That young and innocent thing? You are quick to the trigger, Sans. If my memory serves correct, Papyrus said that the voice was a _male_ voice. Not female. Another thing, Sans. I'm not sure if Papyrus is being messed with or not, but apparently this 'flower' has been saying mean things about the girl too." Now Grillby had Sans' attention. Raising his eye sockets up with ultimate curiosity, Sans felt it necessary to ask, "what do you mean? like...a warning?" Grillby shook his head before replying, "No. From what your brother had said, the flower told him that the girl doesn't belong here. That he should kill her or scare her off.... He said she's annoying and many other things of that nature. Though, now that I think on it, from what your brother had mentioned... It sounds more like the flower is jealous of her interactions with monsters." Sans blinked once, incredulous to the information he just listened to. A flower? Jealous of a human girl? Is this another fucked up dream Sans has managed to create from one of his drunken nights? _Did_ he drink last night? "BROTHER!" Instantly tearing his cluttered mind away once again, Sans and Grillby both turned to look at Papyrus, who stormed in from the bar entrance.  
  
"The bar isn't open yet, Papyrus. You'll have to wait another hour before asking for a drink." Grillby mentioned, earning himself a look of pure disgust from the taller skeleton. "THAT IS NOT WHY I AM HERE!" Papyrus spat at the fire monster, causing Grillby to chuckle to himself as he grabbed a new glass to clean. Returning his gaze to his older brother, Papyrus continued, "BROTHER, HAVE YOU SEEN THE HUMAN? IS SHE IN THE BACK ROOM? I NEED TO SPEAK WITH HER. IT'S URGENT!" Sans smiled through the sweat dripping low down the back of his skull at the mention of the girl again, "nah, bro. she had an errand to run for grillbz, remember? she's in hotland right now. why?" Never, in the many timelines Sans had been through, had he seen his brother's skull turn into a paler tint of white than it did now. "I-I TOLD UNDYNE ABOUT MY FRIENDSHIP WITH THE HUMAN! S-SHE'S GOING TO FIND HER! RIGHT NOW!" _ah...shit..._  
  
"Get back here, punk!" My female predator shouted at me, with a mix of her maniacal laughter, as she sprung out more and more of her bright blue spears from every direction. I had little to no time to think as I tried desperately to dodge each attack, all the while trying to balance the box of alcoholic goods in my arms, held in a tight embrace to my chest. _Oh God! What the hell did I do to deserve this?! Why didn't the River Person show up!? Ohhhh! I knew I should have called Papyrus or something!_ "Oh god!" Gasping loudly as I had, by some Godly miracle, avoided getting my forehead cleaned right off of my face by another one of her attacks. I never even took the chance to look behind me, curious of her whereabouts, and instead ran down another random path in the darkened pathway. If anything, it is one of the downfalls of running through Waterfall. The illuminating mushrooms could only give a handful of light, for a _very_ limited amount of time. I barely had the time to memorize what paths to take. Often at times, I would fear silently over the fact that I might run into a dead end. Most likely creating a definite 'dead end' for me, as well. But Lady Luck must have had my back, seeing as how I had the advantage of speed in my favor.  
  
Despite the fact neither of us had 'properly' introduced ourselves, I had a pit in my stomach to confirm my assumptions that the woman chasing after me was indeed this Undyne person I kept hearing about. I only had a mere glimpse of a second to get a good look at her. She was taller than me, but probably a few inches shorter than Papyrus. She wore a heavy suit of armor, which reflected off the crystalline walls, producing an, and I'll openly admit, quite lovely array of mix colors. It actually reminded me of those window ornaments I'd see at the local hospital. The nurses there would hand them in the windows, allowing the sun rays to hit the fake crystal ornament, only to shower specks of rainbow beams onto the floors and chairs of the waiting room. But with Undyne, the way her armor shone a dark rainbowesque hue on her shoulder blades and thighs, it really gave insight to my imagination of her beauty. Well, that is until I had a blue spear aimed for the bridge of my nose, which I had, once again, somehow dodged with ease. That's the thing about fear. Just one spark of the emotion and the _instantly_ your body has a mind of its own by the name of 'adrenaline rush'. And then, just like any other fairytale, your feet swim through various passageways as if you'd be running through the air. Flying at will, as it would seem. Though, the reality of it all was much _much_ further than the imagination.  
  
 _Just how much magic does this lady have?! Those spears are obviously made of magic. Heck, I can even smell the magic coming off of them, which is friggin amazing. But, isn't this tiring her out? She never even gave me a chance to speak before she flat out attacked me!_ Huffing loudly, almost from lack of breath, I stop for only a moment to look around for a place to hide. There were rocks everywhere, along with waterfalls, but most of the falls were too thin to hide behind. And the rocks themselves were too small. The closest illuminating mushroom was still out of reach from where I stood and Undyne's loud rush of footsteps were quickly approaching from behind me. _There's gotta be a way out of here!_ Gasping softly, I feel my phone vibrate, indicating a message. Quickly swiping the device from my pocket, while still balancing the box in my free hand, I grew pale at the message I had received from Papyrus, reading: HELLO, FRIEND! FORGIVE ME OF MY SUDDEN INTRUSION ON YOUR ERRAND BUT I UH MADE A LITTLE OOPSIE. WHAT EVER YOU DO, DON'T GO THROUGH WATERFALL! UNDYNE IS LOOKING FOR YOU. I UH HEH KINDA TOLD HER THAT YOU AND I ARE FRIENDS. OOPS. LOOK, JUST STAY IN HOTLAND AND I'LL SEND MY BROTHER TO RETRIEVE YOU!  
  
 _Little_ oopsie?! _Major understatement of the century, Papyrus! Ugh. I have no time for this. I'll have to text him back later. Right now I need a place to hide!_ With Lady Luck still on my side, I managed to find a perfectly hidden large boulder. No, wait. It's a statue. It looked _very_ old, though if anything, I could tell that it was to resemble a monster with large horns pointed upwards. Seeing as how there was a small enough gap behind the large statue, I beamed happily as I slid behind the statue, stuffing Grillby's box next to my feet, before I scrunched my body lower to the ground as I heard Undyne's footsteps reach the statue. "Damn it! Where did that punk go?! Ugh. Damn it, Papyrus! You're not suppose to become friends with the enemy!" She roared loudly, making the rubble of pebbles above my head to break from their wall, adding little drops of water to drizzle quietly onto my head and statue. I blinked away the cool aqua droplets as I peered at Undyne from my hiding spot. Minutes ticked away as I tried keeping my breath steady. She stomped from one part of the small path to another, growling in mumbled aggravation before stomping out the opposite direction. I waited for another few moments, just in case, before I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding onto.  
  
"T-Thank God.." I sent God a little thank you prayer before I grabbed my cell phone and texted Papyrus my location. Within half a minute, he replied back, saying Sans will pick me up in a jiffy after making sure Undyne is going on a different path. _Good thinking._ I leaned against the damp wall, catching my breath once again, before I grabbed the box at my feet and started weaving my way out from behind the statue. I did my best to be careful. I didn't want to ruin the statue. It was placed there for a reason, right? It'd be wrong of me to damage something that someone worked so hard on. But even so, why is this statue here? Despite how old it looked like, I couldn't help but feel that the statue was damaged due to the water from above, rather than years of decay. Stepping one leg out from behind the statue, I blinked in confusion as I notice something at the bottom of the statue. I free myself completely from my hiding spot and reach down, moving a small rock off of the object before lifting the curious item from the ground. Lifting it up to get a better look, I notice it's a cassette. Small and black with a thin white label reading in faded lettering: Human Archive Number -. Unfortunately, the number indicating which set it belonged to was erased, or more like ruined from water damage. _I wonder, does this belong to someone? Maybe someone dropped it. Though...the handwriting... I...I feel like I know it._ ~~Interesting. I did not expect you to find that. Hm..~~ I blinked in surprise as I noticed the mystery voice from before. It had been a while since I heard from him. I was starting to worry. Looking back to the cassette, I figured it was best of me to ask, "This cassette...is it important?" He instantly replied, ~~Yes.~~ I nodded once, remembering our little deal of communication. "Alright. Should I return it to the owner?" Silence. I frowned at this information before I spoke again, "But...that's just mean. I can't just leave it here, like it was trash. What if someone is looking for it?" Silence, again. _No one is looking for it? What does that mean?_ I kept staring at the cassette, inspecting the tape inside for water damage. It looked fine enough. If there was a cassette player available, I might be able to listen to it. _After all, it's about Humans. I have a right to know what someone thinks about my species._ Feeling curious, I ask once more, "Should I....keep it?" Instantly, he responded with a sense of eagerness in his distorted voice, ~~Yes! It would help greatly!~~ Smiling softly at hearing his voice, I nod to my imaginary friend before slipping the cassette into my back pocket. "talkin' to yourself, kid?"  
  
I squeak in surprise, followed by a little jump in my step, as I spin around to see Sans grinning at me. Luckily I didn't drop the box in my arm as I spun so quickly. "Y-You scared me! H-How long were you standing there?" I asked him, feeling a bit cautious after everything that had happened. He shrugged once before replying, "not long. you got something hiding in your pocket you don't want me to see?" I blushed with embarrassment over the fact that he probably thought I was weird, talking to myself out loud like that. "U-uh I-it's nothing really. I just um.. W-well, I don't think it'd be a bad idea to show you...r-right?" I was _actually_ asking my imaginary friend, but I still got a shrug from the comedian, and once again, Lady Luck tapped my shoulder as the distorted voice spoke once more for me. ~~It is fine. Show it to him.~~ I blinked once, watching Sans as I silently contemplated while retrieving the cassette from my pocket. _So I guess Sans can't hear him? It's only me? I wonder why. He's a skeleton too, like the male voice. I figured that since they were both monsters of the same breed, that they'd be able to communicate together. If not, then why is it that **I** can?_ Pushing the additional list of questions away for the moment, I pull out the slightly damaged cassette for Sans to see.  
  
A long moment of silence radiated through the cavern as Sans examined the tape. "where'd you find this?" He finally asked, looking at me from the corner of his eye socket while still fiddling with the small tape. "Over here, at the base of the statue. A rock had fallen on it, hiding it from sight. But I was hiding from Undyne behind the statue and when she left, I had noticed it from my position. Why? Do you know who it belongs to?" He shook his head slowly, frowning a bit as he handed it back to me. "no. not yet, anyway. best to keep it on hand. if someone is saving up intel on humans, you might be in more than enough trouble as is. undyne would be the least of your worries." My face fell a couple shades paler at his words as I slide the cassette back into my pocket. He continued with a shrug, holding his hand out to me as he said, "we'll listen to it later. you're staying at our place again tonight anyway. paps has got a player you could use. but right now, lets get outa here before undyne come back." I nodded eagerly as I quickly held his hand. "Yeah but she went back towards Hotland. We can't get back to the River Person from here, can we?" His frown snaked into his signature grin once more, prideful bastard that he is, as he replied with a wink, "he's got a pier a little ways from here, but we're not goin' that way. just follow me, kiddo. 'know a shortcut."  
  
 _Fuck you, Sans, and your shortcuts. How we went from a damn dark cave to popping up in front of Grillby's is beyond me! Did we take a hidden path that only Sans knows about?! Am I going mad from all of that running?_ Most likely feeling my eyes burn holes in the back of his skull, Sans turned around, his grin turning into a satisfied smirk, as he asked in a nonchalant tone of voice, "what's the matter, kiddo? not in the mood to see grillbz again?" My reply came with a hardened glare, earning myself a satisfied smirk from the comic skeleton, "How _exactly_ did we get here? I thought it'd take us an hour to walk to the bar. But it's like we just...popped out of nowhere!" He simply shrugged and walked up to sit in his usual spot at the bar, obviously ignoring me. I sighed, defeated as I followed him to the bar. _I suppose I'll figure Sans' little secret one of these days. I bet he'll tell me if he'd just...trust me more._ Lifting the box in my arms carefully, I hoisted it up and slid it gently onto the bar right as Grillby stepped in from the backroom. "Hm? That was quick. I heard you ran into some trouble with Undyne. Were you able to get my stuff?" Grillby asked, setting a couple of large crates, containing some kind of liquor, I presume, underneath the bar. I nodded once, pushing the box closer to him as I spoke, "Yes but I might have damaged something. It was a little hard to run while holding it." "Hmm. We shall see." He removed his white glove off of his right hand and slowly traced his finger down the tape holding the panels together with ease. Instantly, the tape created an open crease just by his simple 'touch'. A faint melted burning streak was all that remained in the tape. _W-woah! Grillby is so cool! It must be so convenient being a monster of literal fire. But, now that I think of it, how does he take a shower? Not that I'm trying to imagine him naked or anything.... Okay, now I am. Ugh, what is with my mind today?!_  
  
Quickly shaking my perverted thoughts from my mind, I return my attention to the contents of the box. Sure enough, the delivery was of alcohol, as well as a ton of the pamphlets Tom had mentioned and about thirty bottles of ketchup. It only takes one guess to figure out who _that_ is for. Grillby inspected each bottle, tossed every single pamphlet of Mettaton's into the trash, though I kept one before he threw them away out of my own curiosity of the singing robot. He then closed the box and sat it down under the bar as well. "You're in luck, Sweets. Everything is perfectly unharmed. Here." Grillby said, bringing my attention to him as he grabbed some G and handed it to me. "That's for yesterday, plus today's delivery. Since you had survived meeting Undyne, I'll let you have the rest of the day off." He spoke with a wink. I grinned widely at his generosity. "T-Thank you, Mr. Grillby!" He chuckled, ruffling the top of my head, messing up my hair in the process. "I told you before, Sweets. Just Grillby is fine. Now, go ahead and relax. You must be hungry after your rush to get back, right? What would you like to eat? Sans is _paying_." "wait, what?" Sans blinked from his new bottle of ketchup, of which he stole from the box of new merchandise. Grillby held his arms crossed over his chest, tapping his gloved fingers on his arms repeatedly as he stared down at the short skeleton. "You heard me, Sans. Be a gentleman, treat the lady, and _pay your fucking tab._ " Sans chuckled nervously, followed by a reluctant shrug, before he sighed and nodded.  
  
After taking our orders, Grillby strolled into the kitchen which was connected through the backroom. One by one, a few monsters entered into the bar, eager for a drink and to listen to a few of Sans' jokes. By my surprise, a couple of monsters even wanted to chat with me as well. At first, they thought I was some kind of monster, wearing a human costume that was top notch. Though, Sans corrected them by admitting I am human. They were shocked, of course. One asked if it was safe talking to me while the other asked if Papyrus was planning on taking me to the King. Shaking his noggin from side to side, Sans tipped his bottle of ketchup to his teeth as he replied to the two inquisitive monsters, "nah. she's more like a pet to paps." "What?! I am not!" I frowned at the grinning skeleton, earning myself another chuckle from him. The two monsters joined in with laughter before they went to sit at a booth away from us. "You lair." I replied with a pout. Sans merely shrugged as he spoke, "not really a lie, kiddo. paps likes ya and you _are_ sleeping on the couch." "I'm _not_ his pet, Sans. I'm his friend. Why didn't you just tell them that?" I asked. The lights in his eye sockets dimmed a bit as he replied softly, "...not sure that's a good idea, kid. do you know how hard it is to even....trust you with my bro? sure, you may have a pretty face and smile but what could happen with my back turned, eh? it just takes one moment, kid.  it's why I've got my eye socket on you." Normally, I'd probably be scared with his threats and cold demeanor towards me. But there was something in his words that had caught my attention. "You think I'm pretty?" I asked with an innocent look but a growing grin on my face. Most likely looking back to what he had said, Sans' cheekbones instantly produced a deep hue of blue. _Hehe so Papyrus blushes orange and Sans is blue? Hehe these two are adorable!_ "jus' eat your burg, kid." Sans muttered, looking away to mask his blush blue cheeks with his bottle of ketchup.  
  
Our time at Grillby's flew with flying colors as we mingled with the monsters. Especially during the evening rush. I asked Grillby if he wanted my help, considering how packed it was getting, but he shrugged me off by telling me that this is nothing compared to when he use to work at the bar near the MTT resort. Apparently, Grillby left that place because he got tired of adding a 'sparkling confetti' to every meal, by order of Mettaton. _"_ ready to get back, kiddo? paps is probably wanting to know how your run in with undyne went." Sans asked, placing a large amount of G on the bar, to my surprise, before he motioned me towards the exit. I smiled at him and nodded as I placed a tip for Grillby, then followed him outside into the cold winter air. It still deludes me how a winter wonderland can present itself in full glory underneath a large mountain. Obviously, the answer to pretty much all of my questions is magic. But when will the day come when I can properly understand the science behind magic? Is there even a way to make me understand such logic? "what'd you say your name was, kid?" Sans asked, breaking my attention from the snow drifting from the magic-made sky above us. "I told you, didn't I? It's Frisk." I answered, leaving us only in silence. _I could have sworn I told him my name, right? Why is he even asking?_ "What's on your mind, Sans?" I prodded, following behind him as he stared at his footprints in the snow. He was definitely deep in thought. Which was starting to worry me. Sans, at first glance, didn't seem like the type of monster to lose himself in his thoughts, but after being around him, I figured that he is usually either lost in thought or sleeping. _Papyrus told me last night that Sans tends to fall asleep a lot, especially during his patrols. From the sound of it, this isn't an uncommon act for Sans. Then there is his constant silence, like right now. I wonder what goes through that skull of his? And despite how untrustworthy he is towards me, specifically, he would tell jokes and puns to make people happy...… Woah, wait a second. Doesn't that mean he's... "_ Depressed?" I ask out loud.   
  
Obviously I must have shocked Sans, because he instantly stopped walking to look at me with a stunned expression on his skull. "w...what did you just say?" He asked in reply. I replayed my thoughts to myself before I realized how much I needed to confirm this. And, if possible, it may even help _him_ by talking about it. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just...well...I've noticed how tired you are and quiet but wanting to make others happy." Sans' typical smile faded into a thin frown, most likely not impressed with my skill of connecting the dots. No matter, I still continued, "Sans...Forgive me for asking this but um...Are you suffering from depression?" This was most definitely a sensitive subject for him. In one swift movement, his eye lights flashed over to his and his brother's home before returning to me, a sense of worry evident in his face. ".....don't tell my bro, kay? and...it's much more than you think, kid." He sighed deeply, running his fingerless gloved hand over the top of his skull, then dropping it at his side as he gazed at me with a tired half-grin. "...why in asgore's name am I even telling you this?" He sat down on a nearby bench, stationed in the circle of town, overlooking the colorful Christmas tree illuminating sparkling lights for passerby monsters. Though, considering how late it was guessing, most of the monsters in the area had gone to their homes. If anything, only a handful were out, most likely headed towards Grillby's for a late drink. It was only Sans and myself sitting on the bench by the fancy tree. Our silence danced in the breeze of drifting snow that swam around us. I shivered with a jolt as a cold chill fell upon me, of which I earned a soft, humorless, chuckle from the comedian beside me. "chilled to the bone, kid?" He asked with his usual grin appearing on his face again. I reflected his grin with one of my own as I replied, "Hehe _snow_ use in complaining about it, huh? You literally live in a snow globe." He laughed again, which seemed to ease a bit of tension in his features.  
  
"come on. better get inside before the cavalry arrive." Sans said, nudging my shoulder with his hand softly. I stood up along with him, and side by side we treaded through the snow until we reached his home. The moment we entered through the front door, I got instantly swept into Papyrus' slender arms and pulled into a tight embrace. "MY FRIEND! I AM TRULY SORRY! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHOULD HAVE GONE WITH YOU, TO PROTECT YOU FROM UNDYNE!" "uh, bro? undyne is your friend, too. ya think you could really take her on?" Sans asked with a small bead of sweat falling down the back of his skull. "OH. I HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT. NYEH... BUT FEAR NOT, MY HUMAN FRIEND! FOR I SHALL TRY TO PURSUADE UNDYNE TO BE YOUR FRIEND AGAIN!" Now it was my turn to sweat drop. "U-Um that's very nice of you, Papyrus, but that's not necessary." He shook his head and patted my back with his red gloved hand as he replied, "NONSENSE! ALL SHOULD BEFRIEND YOU, HUMAN! I AM SURE SHE WOULD BE YOUR FRIEND VERY SOON! IT'S JUST....W-WELL...Y-YOU KNOW WHAT? LET US SAVE THIS DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER DAY! IT'S TIME TO EAT AND I MADE SPAGHETTI! COME! YOU MUST BE HUNGRY AFTER SUCH A LONG DAY!"  
  
After eating our spaghetti, or at least _tried_ to eat it, the three of us lingered on the couch together. During our meal, Sans had told Papyrus of the cassette tape I had found while running from Undyne. It was honestly quite surprising how eager Papyrus was to clean off his plate and rush to his room to grab his cassette player. While he roamed about upstairs, Sans managed to snatch my plate, along with his, and tossed it to their dog (of which I hadn't noticed was around until last night). He reminded me, quietly, that Grillby left a few burgers for us both in a to-go box. Apparently Sans was hiding it in his bedroom, seeing as how Papyrus seems to hate Grillby's food. Soon enough, Papyrus came to join us in the kitchen having after retrieving the cassette player. Next thing I know, I'm sitting in between both skeletons on the couch, staring at the small black and worn out looking cassette in my hand. Papyrus worked on setting up the playing device, making sure it worked properly before asking me to give him the cassette. "DO YOU THINK IT HAS SONGS FROM THE SURFACE? I HAVE BEEN QUITE CURIOUS OF HUMAN MUSIC AS OF LATE. METTATON SEEMS TO GET HIS INSPIRATION OF HIS SHOWS FROM HIS KNOWLEDGE OF HUMANS! DID YOU KNOW THAT, HUMAN?" I smiled at Papyrus's wide grin as I replied, "Not really, Papy. Who knows, though? It says 'Human Archives' on it. It may have more than just songs on it." "only one way to find out. give him the tape, kiddo." Sans nudged my side gently. I smiled lightly before handing the tape to Papyrus. He placed it inside the player, closed the insert, rewound until the tape was at the beginning, then as each of us took in a silent breath, Papyrus pressed the play button.   
  
The room was shrouded in dead silence as we waited for something, anything, to be heard from the old tape. But nothing came. Another moment of silence loomed over our heads before Sans muttered under his breath to his younger brother, "ya sure you turned the volume all the way up?" Papyrus nodded in reply, "YES. I'M SURE OF IT." I frowned lightly as I looked up at Papyrus, "Well, I-it _was_ old looking. Maybe it's too ol-" All three of us gasped as a voice suddenly echoed from the device. The sound was a sigh. Annoyed and disgruntled. Then, it began to speak. The voice was female. She spoke was a low, slightly hoarse voice. It was as if you could tell that she often shouted in anger, which took its toll on her vocal cords. But that's not what was most surprising about her voice. To the boys, it was what she spoke of. To me, it was the fact that I _knew_ her. She was a figment of my imagination, or so my foster father had led me to believe. A faded dream in the back of my mind, as it were. But this... To be able to _hear_ her voice like this. It was...terrifying. I gulped a hardened lump in my throat as the three of us listened to her voice.  
  
"...<sigh>...My attempts to understand these two humans are more of a struggle than I had thought. I had taken the basics into my hands the instant I retrieved them from the Ruins. Neither one of them had spoken a word to me, which I had expected. What I hadn't expected was that they won't speak to either of themselves. Is this to be expected of human siblings? I have yet to interrogate their intentions for coming down here. Though, from last night's surveillance footage, they had spoken a little of their journey into the Ruins. Apparently the girl was running away from home and the boy was chasing after her to bring her back. Both had slipped and fell down into the Ruins. I was lucky to have been in the area at the time. If another monster had found them, they could have been killed on sight."  
  
A moment of silence, followed by a distant sound of something scribbling on paper before the female voice had continued. "I have decided to give my two test subjects names. I don't like their human-given names. They should realize that they are no longer in human territory.... Considering how many times the girl has taken the risk to ask me such...personal questions as well as had a risky attempt of trying to peek into my catalogs, I have decided to name her Frisk." A loud gasp came from the two skeletons at either of my sides. _This tape...it's about me....a-and my brother?!_ Sans looked about ready to say something, but stopped himself as the female voice continued once more. "As for her brother... <another annoyed sigh> He has become quite troublesome. Calling him 'risky' is far from the truth. He is more chaotic rather than risky. As brother and sister, I have noticed they are more like two sides of the same coin. She tends to be quiet and contemplative. Curious, even. With him, however...the boy is far more aggressive in nature. He has tried pulling apart the bars in their cell and even attempted to create a weapon by smashing a rock into bits, obviously looking for a sharp edge to use. Though, I was able to catch him before he shattered the rock.... Ah, I know what to call the little beast. Only a name fit for one full of such carnage. I shall name him- <Bzzzzt Bzzt>"  
  
The three of us stared at the cassette player as the tape rolled through endless static. "W-WHAT IS THE NAME? I DON'T UNDERSTAND. BROTHER, WHAT IS THIS THING? A PROMOTION TO A HORROR FILM?" Papyrus asked, obviously scared by what we had just heard. Sans only sat in silence. I gulped loudly as I reached over and pressed the stop button on the device. "it's about you, kid. mind telling us what that's all about?" Sans finally asked, an obvious sound of judgement evident in his tone of voice. I couldn't find my voice to answer. So much was rattling in my mind. _I can't believe it. This really is about me and my brother! Pops was wrong. I never dreamed it all up. That woman...er whatever she was. She really did experiment on us. I-It wasn't a dream. T-then...Does that mean...W-what about the two friends I made back then?_ "B-BROTHER! SHE'S CRYING AGAIN! OH PLEASE DON'T BE SAD, HUMAN. W-WOULD YOU LIKE SOME NICE CREAM? I HAVE SOME IN THE FREEZER!" Papyrus asked 'softly', placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. I hadn't even noticed tears running down my cheeks until Papyrus had mentioned it. "...kid?" Now it was Sans' turn to sound worried and placed his own hand, though cautious as he was, on my knee. I smiled a half-chuckle as I wiped away my tears. "I-I'm sorry. I'm not sad, Papy. I'm actually happy." I sniffled a bit and took in a soft breath before I continued, "I know that voice. Her name is Suvia. I...I can't believe this exists. All my life, I had been told it was a terrible dream that I had made up. But it's not. This proves it! H-Heh. My brother and I really _did_ come down here once before!"  
  
"REALLY? THEN THAT MEANS.." Papyrus began, followed by his older brother to fill in the blank. "this is your second time underground?" I nodded at them both. "Yes. She...Suvia. She had found us in the Ruins after we both fell. She must have taken us in and experimented on us. Tried to understand humans, I guess. I-I don't really remember much. It had been so long ago. We were both little kids when it happened." "she experimented on you?" Sans asked, tearing his eye lights from me to stare holes into the carpet. I nodded slowly before I answered, "Yeah. My brother hated it. I hated it too, but I wasn't as eager to leave as he was." "WHY IS THAT?" Papyrus asked, massaging my shoulder with his thumb. "Well...Remember what she said in the tape?" I replied, only to be answered by Sans. "you mean how she said you were running away from home and your bro followed after you?" I nodded again, "Yeah. I really was running from home. Our father was very...strange. He always acted so kind and peaceful but when he spoke to us...he would try teaching us to do or say things that were just...not right. He was always proud of my brother, though. He would always do everything our father asked of us with ease. And he enjoyed it too." Papyrus gulped (how?) before speaking with a quivering voice, "W-WHAT EXACTLY DID HE MAKE YOU DO?" I let silence settle within the room before I answered his question. "Bad things... Usually small things like capturing an animal or connecting electrical wires to a fish tank.. My brother...he enjoyed it so much. I found him, once, with a baby kitten. I-it was meowing so weakly and frightened when I found him hovering over her." Another silence loomed over us until Sans urged me to continue, "....he killed it?" A shaky breath blew inside of me as I slowly shook my head, "No....and yes.... My brother enjoyed torturing the animals. That kitten...her fur was torn from her small body. Blood was on my brother's hands as well as a fork.... I...I still remember the lifeless eyes of that poor little kitten...staring at me...begging for me to take away her pain. I regret never doing anything. I was too young...too afraid of what my father would have done if I interrupted my brother's 'playtime', as father put it... I...Am I a terrible person for letting that happen?"  
  
Neither skeleton answered me. Silence was my only response. That is until Papyrus pulled me into a tight embrace against his body armor. "E-eh?!" I exclaimed, full of surprise of the taller skeleton's sudden actions. "YOU POOR POOR HUMAN! HOW COULD YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH SUCH TORMENT?! DON'T WORRY, MY DEAR FRIEND! YOU ARE NOT A TERRIBLE PERSON! YOU WERE WISE TO COME DOWN HERE! FEAR NOT! FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL ALWAYS BE HERE TO PROTECT YOU FROM SINISTER FATHERS!" I smiled weakly against his metallic body armor. "Thank you, Papyrus. But my father is dead now." "what? but earlier you said..." Sans began, though I couldn't help but to interrupt. "I was adopted after my father's lab was destroyed." "DESTROYED? BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR BROTHER?" Papyrus asked as I pulled away from him hug. "Everyone believed he was killed in the explosion too." Sans looked over to me, "believed? what, there's no proof?" I frowned at his question, shaking my head back and forth slowly as I replied, "No one has found anything. A lot of people believe _I_ killed them and set the explosion. But...wouldn't I have remembered such a thing?" "shock can do a lot to a person, kid. but, as innocent as you are, I don't believe you killed anyone." Sans spoke with a shocked expression, having just realized what he just admitted.  
  
Papyrus removed the cassette from the player and reluctantly handed it back to me. "HERE. YOU FOUND IT. I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD KEEP IT." Sans nodded, "good idea, bro. besides, it's about you, kid. you said you needed evidence or something, right?" I blinked and nodded once, "Y-yeah. I-it's why I climbed the mountain again. I wanted to find proof that I didn't kill my family. Though, I'm not sure this will prove that. It's more about me and my brother getting experimented on by a female monster than about my father. If I showed this to the humans above us, it would probably create even more chaos than what's already going on in their minds." Sans looked at me with wide eye sockets before slowly smirking at me. "you...would refrain from having another war between humans and monsters?" _Eh? I hadn't even thought of that._ No matter how confused I was by his question, I found myself returning his smirk with a smile of my own as I replied, "It wouldn't do either of us any good, right?" He chuckled lightly before patting my head with his hand. "AHEM. FORGIVE MY INTERRUPTION, BROTHER. BUT IT'S GETTING LATE AND YOU OWE ME AN EXTRA STORY TONIGHT." Papyrus said with his arms crossed over his chest. "what? seriously, bro? that's not cool." Sans replied with a fake frown on his face. "I CAN SMELL THE GREASE FROM YOUR GRILLBY'S IN YOUR MESSY BEDROOM, SANS! ADD TO THAT, WE JUST LISTENED TO THE CREEPIEST HORROR STORY FROM THE HUMAN AND THAT TAPE. I KNOW FOR A FACT I DESERVE TWO STORIES OF FLUFFY BUNNY TONIGHT!" "fine fine. no point in biting my ear off, eh bro?" "WE DON'T HAVE EARS, SANS." "yeah. I nose." "NYEEEEEH!"   
  
I giggled softly as I watched the two saunter up the stairs leading to Papyrus' bedroom. "GOODNIGHT, HUMAN! AND DON'T WORRY! NO NIGHTMARES WILL FIND THEIR WAY INTO YOUR LITTLE HEAD IN THIS HOUSE!" Papyrus informed me before he entered his bedroom, followed by Sans who mutter a small "g'night, kiddo. sweet dreams." before also entering the room and shutting the door behind him. After I had prepared myself for bed in the first floor restroom, I did my best at sleeping on the couch. But my mind was focusing too much on what we heard on that tape. _Why did I find such a thing by that statue? And it looked so worn out too. How did it get there? And it mentioned my brother...I...wonder if he's alive? Would that be possible?_ Thoughts like these strolled on in my mind for an hour. I tried pushing my cluttered mess of inner thoughts by watching some TV, but got bored quickly of watching Mettaton shimmy to a weird folk song. Flicking the television off quickly, I sighed as I pulled myself up from the couch and made my way to the kitchen. _Perhaps a glass of water will wash away my worries?_ Reaching up for a glass from a cabinet, I grabbed the small glass and began filling it with cool water before I heard Sans' low voice from behind me. "want a burg, kid?" "Hm?" Turning my attention to the shorter skeleton, I smiled softly as he pulled out a seat for me at the table. "Sure. That sounds nice."  
  
Sans and I ate in silence. Thankfully, it was a comforting silence. It could be that I was just enjoying his presence in the room. "never heard of a monster called suvia before. you sure you heard that right, kiddo?" Sans asked, tipping his bottle of ketchup to his teeth. I gulped down my bite of hamburger before I cleaned off my lips with a napkin. "I'm pretty sure. I think she was the last of her species. I remember she had no legs. More snake-like with her skin like stone. I haven't seen any monster around here who looked like that. She also wore a white lab coat. Oh! And sunglasses." Sans looked confused as I described the female voice. I simply shrugged at his confused stare before he said, "the tape cut off at the end. she was talking about your brother's name. she changed it to something but we never got to hear it." I nodded, standing up with my plate. Walking over to the sink, I sat my plate down and started rinsing it off as I replied, "Oh that's right. You're probably wondering what she called him. I always wondered where she had gotten the idea of our new names. I suppose mine was for my 'risky' nature. She's pretty dead-on for naming my brother after the act of carnage though." I chuckled lightly before continuing, "Chara for carnage. Hit the head on the nail, I'd sa-"   
  
I barely had a chance to realize what was going on until I felt Sans slam me against the wall with his hand over my neck. He glared at me with one blazing blue eye and the other in a static-white haze. My body froze in automatic fear with my eye drifting all over the place. _H-how the heck did we end up in a bedroom?!_ Tightening his grip on my neck, I winced in pain, erasing my thoughts instantly as Sans spoke in a menacing growl, "how the _fuck_ do you know that name, _kid_?" Magic radiated off of his phalanges, almost tickling my skin with a threatening vibe. _"_ U-urk! Y-You know my brother?" I spoke with a strained voice. His growl replied to my struggles, "i'm not going to ask again. now tell me! tell me how you know that damn brother killer?!" The gulp in my throat tightened as it fought to soothe the pain from his magic. Just what was he talking about? Papyrus is perfectly fine, sleeping in the next room. Nothing Sans spat at me made any sense. But if I was to survive against his hand clutched around my neck, I had no choice but to tell him what I knew. "H-He's my brother!"


	6. Speaking of Genocide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After some how surviving Sans' death grip on her neck, Frisk managed to have a one on one long chat with the judgmental skeleton. A conversation that is not only important, but opens many doors. To both questions and answers. But one day of surprises isn't enough for the young human. First she meets a lizard in a lab coat, then she finds out about a recent occurrence that is too odd to miss! Wanna see if she gets to find out more about it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!   
> I am SO sorry for the late update! Okay, honestly, I don't even have a proper schedule for updating my stories. But I know I had quite a few readers who were eager to know just what the heck was to happen next in the story. I deeply apologize!  
> You see, I had recently gotten into an accident at home, which caused me to struggle with walking for a whole week! I slept too much and I hated it, cause I'd keep dreaming up ideas for my stories and I couldn't reach for my stuff to type it all down. So, after waiting impatiently day after day, I somehow made it to the store and bought me a notebook to write my ideas down for my stories. ^.^   
> On that note, as a proper apology and thanks for those who are still reading on in this story, here's my newest chapter! Hehe I hope you enjoy it~!
> 
> Btw, did I make this one shorter than usual? I can't tell. hehe

Coming face to face with this new side of Sans was more than terrifying, to say the least. It reminded me of when I 'lifted' up over the tallest bone attack of Papyrus' fight. I saw Sans then, hiding behind a rock. Looking exactly the same as he did then, Sans sported the fiery neon blue light in his left eye socket, while the right eye socket was overrun with a white haze, most similar to that of a static interference of a TV screen. But how can that be? It looked painful. And seeing him up close with his right hand clutched around my neck in a death grip, I never had noticed the speckle of dried blood evident on the edge of his teeth.  _W-what? What's going on?_ His hold against my neck dug deep, causing me to struggle to breathe. I noticed a flash of hesitation in his blue eye before he slowly released his grip on my neck, allowing me to breathe as he took a cautious step away. "start speaking.  **now.** " He ordered, watching as I slid to the carpet of the floor and resting my back to the wall as I fought to taste air once again. All I could do was stare up at him, fear stricken on my face. I could even feel cold sweat on my palms. It was no joke how terrified I was of Sans. Thoughts and fears paraded throughout my mind.  _How did this happen? What did I say to make him do this to me? I-I thought he was lazy?! I can feel his magic. H-He's SO much more powerful than his brother. I suppose that makes sense. He is the older one after all. But.. But his eye a-and that blood._

 

My silence must have irritated him, seeing as how he was wincing under his left eye and though he tried to hide it, I could hear him panting hoarsely. Was he in pain? Gulping a hard lump in my throat, I spoke with a soft, cautious, voice, "S-Sans? What happened to you?.. H-how did...you get this way? Does Papyrus even know you are...like this?" I watched as Sans visibly flinched at my query before he sighed, sitting on a messy bed, before answering lowly, "i'd say it was you, kid. but it's obvious it's not you. no, it was your fucking brother, chara. fucking son of a bitch." He spat my brother's name as if it were toxic to even speak. I held my knees to my chin, watching him carefully as he ran his left hand over the top of his skull, sighing deeply with a hint of annoyance in his breath. "yeah. I know your fucking bro. can't fucking believe it. he never said anything about having a sister. everything is all wrong. this has never happened before.." I gulped once more, feeling a more clear sensation in my throat before I replied with a more noticeable voice, "W-what are you talking about? What do you mean 'it's never happened before'?" Sans and I shared a deathly silent staring contest before he shut his eye, reverting his facial features back to the everlasting shit eating grin, no blood stains included, and his white pin pricks in each sunken eye sockets; his white static haze vanishing from sight. "ever heard of alternate realities, kid?" He asked, raising his left knee to his chest as he leaned back on his bed, both arms holding him up from behind his back. Feeling slightly more comfortable once his casual look had returned, I rested my legs back to the floor as I shook my head lightly. "I-I don't understand. What does that have to do with-" "you're in the wrong place, kiddo." He interrupted, earning another look of confusion from me. He continued, "technically, you're in the right place, but not really. I've never heard of you. none of us have ever heard of you. your sick fuck of a brother though? yeah. I know 'im. lots of us fucking know him. he use to be king asgore and queen toriel's damn adopted brat. he was their second child. but an accident happened, causing both him and asriel to die. or, that's what we thought."

 

"see, kiddo, it's not easy being a guard on the look out for humans. most that had fallen died from impact. it was a traumatic event tori had seen once too many. but that didn't stop fucking chara from returning from the grave. you see, when I first saw you, I was ready to just kill you right then and there with your back turned towards me at that gate. but I knew that even if I killed the kid in my sights, the cycle would never stop. but when you stared at me, all embarrassed and flustered, I noticed that something was different.  _you_ weren't that fucking brat. it was...scary." He sat in silence before I nodded, urging him to continue. "I know you're confused. it makes no sense, I know that." He shook his head as he watched me carefully, "I've killed the brat probably over 200 times." "W-What? How's that possible?" I gulped, feeling pale in my face as he shook his head slightly. "the fucking brat resets all the fucking time. that's how." I blinked with a raised eyebrow. "I...what? What's a reset?" He stared at me in silence, almost as if he were analyzing me with his dark eyes, "you humans have magic too, don't chya?" I frowned lightly before he replied for me, "well, even if you don't, the brat did. it's a form of time magic, known as a RESET. he could memorize a moment in time, take from that moment and flash back to that moment with a blink of his eye. though instead of using such a gift to locate a missing shoe or some other trivial task like that, you know what the fucking ass whole did? he killed them.  _everyone_. one by one, RESET after fucking RESET. he slaughtered the innocence. ignored their pleas. laughed as he dusted every single monster that resisted death... I watched him kill my brother too many times to count, kid.... i'm sick of it.. you see that scarf over there?" He pointed to a red scarf, torn and dusty, hanging off the right handle of a treadmill standing as a lone island in the center of the room. It took me a moment to realize that the scarf belonged to Papyrus. Though, it looked as if it were old. Like many many years old. It even had the scent of death and decay in its fabric. The beautiful, vibrant red hues of Papyrus' traditional piece of warmth, had been transformed into a dull dusty red. Holes and tears punctured the fabric, ripping at the seams and leaving gentle trails of thread to dance lifelessly over the floor. "every single time I meet your damn brother for his judgement in the chapel inside asgore's castle...I wear this. it's my brother's. my real brother. the one sleeping in the next room? yeah. that's my bro. but after watching him get dusted before my eyes over 200 times... how can I look at him as my same brother? I've tried  _everything_ to stop that fucking brat, kid....everything."

 

_I can't believe it. Father's experiments...worked? B-But that's impossible!_ A shaking breath escaped my lips as I faced Sans once more, "I.. My father. You remember what I said earlier, right?" Sans blinked and nodded, "he taught you two to do terrible things to animals, I think?" I nodded, confirming his question, "I found out around the time I ran away why he was tasked to do such a thing. He was being paid to build a magical human army. But in today's society, magic in humans hardly exists. Or...I guess that's what I thought.. A-are you sure Chara is able to wield such a power?" He nodded with a sullen look on his skull as he replied quietly, "definitely. i'll never forget that fucker's taunting smile every single time he had RESET..." Regret loomed over me for asking such a question. It was wrong of me to make him reminisce over such a dark past. However, I had to be sure about Chara. "I...see... I knew my brother was a cruel person but....to be able to have such power..." Sans watched me in silence, contemplating to himself before he asked me something I hadn't expected, "what about you, kid?" "Me?" I blinked, confused. "yeah. not once have you SAVED your progress down here. you haven't even tried a RESET." Now I was even more confused. Just what the heck is he talking about? Did he think that since my brother had the gift of messing with time, that I could do it? "no way. seriously? you can't even try?" He slid off of his bed and walked over to me, a new look of fear and concern somehow making its way to his skull. "I-I have no idea how to even try. It's not like my father left me a manual or anything." He sighed once before speaking, "well shit. this is worse than I thought." "W-what do you mean?" I asked as I watched him sit next to me, knocking his skull against the wall gently. We sat in silence; my answer never arriving. Only my thoughts cluttered in my mind, forming a soft headache to conjure up in my head.  _None of this makes any sense. Sans has been going through...far too much. Watching everyone he cares about to die instantly and repetitively?... I wonder if Father would be proud of this chaos.. Wait.._

 

"You..said you met my brother?" I asked. Sans nodded once, "and killed, multiple times.." He answered. I gulped before continuing with a couple more of questions, "Then...I have two things I wanna know. If you killed him once, how is he able to return from death? A-And if he's been able to reset the timeline....then....where is he now?" I watched, with a quickened heartbeat, as Sans' eye lights shriveled into the darkness of his eye sockets before blinking back into existence and turning to face me; a reflection of worry on his own skull to mask mine. "shit... you're right. okay first things first, yes, I've killed him too many times to count, but remember what I said earlier about him and asriel? the accident?" I blinked as realization hit in, "T-they both died?" He nodded, "the first human and monster to die underground, in fact. but I've seen him come back. heh.. that's the difference between humans and monsters, kid. when a monster dies, their body turns to dust. our soul breaks into bits and vanishes from existence. but humans? their bodies decay. they turn pale, fragile and brittle. their soul, however, can linger. you've heard of 'ghost' stories, right? well if a human soul isn't ascending to the afterlife or struggling with remorse for their death, they stay in the land they died on, haunting the land and never leaving until their soul is ready to ascend to the heavens. you know this, didn't you?" I shrugged lightly, turning my gaze to my feet as I replied, "Sort of.. Humans have literally thousands of religious beliefs, Sans. But we have no physical evidence that there even  _is_ an afterlife. But....are you saying Chara's soul is lingering because he has remorse for his death?" Sans' smile faded instantly into a frown, shaking his head from side to side in slow movement before he spoke in a hushed breath, "highly doubt that, kiddo... your bro is a fuckin' ass whole.... eh....sorry, I guess. don't know how close you were to him, but I hold no love for the li'l shit." I smiled weakly at his words, "I-It's okay. I never had a...good relationship with my brother...I suppose it makes sense that he'd have no remorse." My memory flashed back to the many times I supervised my brother of his constant 'play time' with small animals. "I should have realized that my brother...would grow into a true killer. I-I'm so sorry...Sans.." I felt my throat tighten, holding back a sob. Silence once more echoed between us until I felt an arm sliding behind my back, and a fingerless gloved boney hand grasp onto my shoulder, pulling me into a tight hug from Sans. I had no idea what to do. I let my tears finally break free to slide down my cheeks and blend with his silently. "...geno.." He whispered into my ear. 

 

"W-what?" My voice squeaked softly as he pulled away to smirk weakly at me, wiping away his translucent tears from his cheek bones with the back of his gloved hand. He answered, "it's what he calls me. 200 times he has met me and died for his actions by my hands. he ran a route of genocide through the underground. and every time, he met me at the end. I guess I deserve the nickname. a judgement of genocide. I use to hate it. always thought of it as a constant reminder of what to expect... but..." His eye lights blinked, reforming into a slightly brighter hue as he gazed at me. I could even feel the gentle vibe he shared with me as he continued to speak, "since meeting  _you_ , I've started to kind of...like the name. it's weird, I know. but i'm starting to have...hope again. now that I've met you." He chuckled lightly, "so, I don't mind if you call me that if we're alone. but, about all of this...bullshit. could you do me a favor and not tell anyone? especially my bro?..." I nodded instantly. I knew what chaos it might cause from showering such knowledge to these people, er monsters. "O-okay.... G-Geno." I felt my face flush with heat, feeling embarrassed as Sans, or Geno in this case, smirked at me with a vibrant blue hue caressing his cheekbones. The silence in the room no longer felt heavy and ominous. Instead, it felt warm and comforting, yet also with a hint of nervous vibes; most likely because of my embarrassment for speaking his new name for the first time. Seeing him smiling at me like this made me wonder.  _D-Does he like it when I speak this new name for him?_  

 

Chuckling once more, 'Geno' stood up from the wall and strolled over to the door before flicking on the lights. I hadn't even had the time earlier to notice that the room he teleported us to (which by the way, WHAT THE FUCK?!) was a bed room.  _His_ bedroom, to be specifically. In one corner of the room, where he sat earlier, sat a bed. It was twin sized of two thin mattresses sandwiched together with a thick dark grey comforter strewn in a messy hump stuffed into the corner as if it were used as a pillow rather than for warmth. Which makes sense. Skeletons don't really need warmth, do they. Though, why wear clothes? Socks, both clean, dirty and worn out from over use, littered the entire room. Against the wall there is a typical light brown dresser with a lamp on top. The top drawer had a lock on it, however, which caught my eye for only a moment before I examined the opposite corner from the bed to jump closer to the wall at my back. "W-What the?!" Geno's chuckle echoed in the room as I tried to keep my shout to a minimum as to be sure I wouldn't wake Papyrus.  The object, or what ever the hell it was, that caused me to shriek was in fact a tornado. No, really. For some odd reason, there is a  _fucking tornado_ in the corner of Geno's bedroom! WHY? Keeping my distance, I noticed that the tornado wasn't moving sporadically in a wave of chaos. It was more like it was hovering a few safe inches from the floor and filled with socks, some sprinkles, a couple of joke books and a plate of spaghetti. My eyes squinted over to see Geno with a shit eating grin plastered on his skull. "you look all  _twisted_ up. what's  _eatin'_ you, kiddo?" He winked at my pale reaction, before chuckling once more. I groaned, fighting back the urge to even attempt to ask him why the hell a friggin tornado is looming in the corner of his bedroom. No doubt, the answer is probably going to be 'magic' anyway.

 

"so, you know  _my_ name. what's yours, kiddo? that lady on the tape said she changed yours and your bro's name, right? who are you really?" Geno asked calmly from his side of the room. I forcibly tore my gaze from the taunting vortex in the distance as to answer him simply, "Felicia. My name is Felicia and my brother's name is really Henry. I guess I understand why she wanted to change our names though. I remember she would always cringe whenever she'd use our names. She even told me, once, that it 'tasted like bile to utter the name of a human'... She  _really_ hated my kind, huh?" I giggled nervously at the memory, "Though, I admit, I actually liked my new name when she gave it to me. Up on the surface, I lived a life of torment and expectation. I hated it. But after receiving a new name, it felt like I had a way into a new life. It was my hope. I strived to live to see the next day, with my new name. My brother, on the other hand, hated it. Believed his 'present from a monster' was like a chain around his neck. He hated feeling like he was owned. He would try every attempt to escape our cage. He would get so mad... He even had hurt me once or twice. This is until I was moved to another scientist." My eyes squinted again as I brought my hands to massage my temples on my skull. Geno looked at me with a raised eyebrow(?), "i'm sorry, what? what other scientist?" The sound of worry made itself known from his words. I, however, only shook my head, "I-I don't remember much, Geno. I don't remember his name but I think it was a guy. He was tall, usually wearing dark clothing and his lab coat. U-Um I think.....he was injured too. His face looked...." I struggled to piece the image in my mind, though it was like looking at a painting that was splashed with water. I continued, "I...I can't remember his face but...I do remember his hands." Geno's pin pricks dimmed at my words before he nodded gently, asking me to continue. And so I did, "He usually wore the typical white gloves of a doctor, but when he removed them, his hands...had holes in them."

 

~~You....remember me..?~~ I gulped lightly as I heard my imaginary friend's voice bounce in my head. Once more, I had no idea what he said, but thinking back, a simple memory of what I had believed to be a dream, flashed before my eyes.  _The man with scars on his skull...his hands had holes in them. T-that's right! The voice must belong to him. What was it he had said to me? I need to find a grey door and get that monster book? I wish I could tell Geno about the guy. But look at him. I can't add more frustration on Geno's mind._ Though I was reluctant, I shook my head lightly, "Geno...I-I...think I'm tired." He blinked, taken aback by my words before he shrugged with a sigh and nodded his head towards the door. "yeah.. right. best to go to sleep, kid... see ya in the morning." I nodded as well, pulling myself up from the floor, then walked over to his bedroom door. "Goodnight, Geno." I spoke softly. He smiled just as gently in reply, "g'night, kiddo. sweet dreams." Slowly, I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open through the hallway. I could hear Papyrus' soft 'NYEHHH' snores in the next room as I took one step into the hallway. Though, before I could close the door once more, Geno said one more thing to me, "kid uh...frisk?" I returned my gaze to him, seeing a look of remorse on his face. What was he to be sad for? "i'm sorry for scaring you. I saw the look on your face when you saw the real me..i just...I can't really control, ya know? it comes out when I use a lot of magic. so....sorry." My lips flipped into a gentle smile as I replied, "It's okay. I'm sure everything I told you is just as scary. Heh.. Today is just full of scary stories, huh? But, I don't blame you. There's nothing to be sorry about." We both shared a quite moment, smiling just a bit at each other before we each said goodnight once more and I finally such his bedroom door.

 

The next morning, Papyrus had made us breakfast spaghetti, once again, before leaving for his training session with Undyne. At the dinner table, he had told me that he came up with ideas to persuade the fish lady to become my new friend. I tried yet again to explain to him that it wasn't necessary, though at this point in my life, I knew that there was no use in fighting back when it came to Papyrus. His mind was already set and his tall skeletal frame was already out the door before I even had the chance to speak up. Sans, (if I remember correctly, he wanted me to call him Geno only if we were alone) on the other hand, never had the chance to eat his food. Papyrus attempted to wake him up, somehow gotten him down the stairs, but by the time Sans had reached the living room, he collapsed back onto the couch, snoozing away with his grin partially open. As one would expect, Papyrus wasn't thrilled at seeing this. So what did he do? He grabbed Sans' plate of spaghetti and flopped it upside down on his older brother's skull, giving Sans a new look of spaghetti-hair. As for myself, I giggled behind my fork with a mouthful of spaghetti as I watched the comically humorous scene before me. After I had finished eating, what I could of Papyrus' homemade meal, I grabbed my plate, along with Sans' new hairstyle, and washed our dishes in the sink, as best as I could. Thankfully, Papyrus must have left a ladder for me to be able to reach the heightened sink in order to clean the plates properly.  _I still have no idea why Papyrus believed stretching his sink was a good idea._

 

Once I had finished cleaning up our breakfast, I noticed that Sans was still asleep on the couch. After taking the time to wipe his skull with a damp wash cloth, and hoping I wouldn't disturb him, I had received a phone call from Grillby. Which surprised me because I figured the ring would have woken up Sans for sure, but it didn't. He must have been  _really_ tired after our talk. Grillby told me that I didn't need to come in today, seeing as how it was going to be slow at the bar. Apparently there was some kind of snowman building contest going on in the outskirts of Snowdin. Luck was on my side if I was going to be free for the day. It gave me the time to go shopping! Looking back to the sleeping skeleton on the couch, I fought back a chuckle as I overheard him mumble in his sleep. Deciding it best to leave him a message, I grabbed a sheet of paper from a drawer in the kitchen and wrote a note for Sans. In it, I informed him that I had the day off from Grillby's and that I was heading to the store at the opposite end of town. Once I had it taped to the television, I slipped my shoes back onto my feet and carefully walked out of the house.

 

"Back so soon, darlin'?" The female cat monster greeted me the moment I stepped into the store. I reflected her grin with one of my own, followed by a heartwarming chuckle. "I'm surprised you're open, honestly. I heard there was a contest going on somewhere nearby. Aren't you going, Miss Kitty?" The shop owner laughed loudly at my nickname for her before she replied happily, "Oh I probably will close up in a couple of hours. Right now it's just the kids playing out there and some practicing for the contest before it begins." She paused before turning her welcoming smile into one of a mischievous nature as she continued, "I've been hearing some rumors about you~." She chuckled with a wink. I blinked in confusion as I tilted my head in reply, "I-I'm sorry?" She waved me off with another giggle, "Oh don't be! I've heard that you have been spending quite a lot of time with those skeletons down the block. Sans in particular." Her grin grew an inch as she mentioned Sans' name, "Got a little crush on our comedian, do you~?" She literally purred before filling the room with laughter. Within an instant, I had felt my face flush with heat as I pieced together her words. "W-what? Me and Sans? I-I...W-well I don't think we are a couple. J-Just friends." She leaned over the counter, with one paw holding her chin with a satisfied smirk on her face, "That so? Hm. And here I was thinking he was a human hater. Ah, well. I think it's cute. That little skeleton deserves a little love. It's good to see him happy. Just keep staying on his good side, got it?" I nodded softly. "Well, then. I assume you're here for that book, right? I still have it for ya. It's half off, if you remember." I grinned at her offer and pulled out 50G right as she lifted the book from underneath her counter. It seemed she had been saving it specifically for me, as promised. She's such a nice lady. She counted the gold pieces before nodding with confirmation before she handed the book to me.

 

My eyes glazed over the spine of the thick book before focusing on the title cover. The book cover was a faded beige tone with multiple pictures of a vast variety of monsters polka dotted along with dark green lettering spelling out its title, 'Knowledge of Monster Kind'. The book itself was probably an inch an a half thick, most likely covering over 50 chapters of monsters.  _I sure hope this'll help me out. If I could find anything on skeletons, maybe I'd find a way to understand that voice I keep hearing._ Looking up, I grinned at the female feline before speaking, "Thank you for hanging on to this for me." She returned my grin with one of her own, "No problem, darlin'. You have a nice day, alright?" I giggled before waving goodbye to her. Maybe if I had time today, I could try going to that snowman contest and see her again. Wrapping my arms over the book, caressing it to my chest, I made my way back towards the skeleton's home. It was comforting how gentle the breeze was, never mind the constant chill it portrayed. I smiled at a couple of children, who were making snow angels, before I noticed something standing in front of Grillby's. The figure was of a female lizard. Her scales were a deep burnt orange tone and she shivered against the snow, pulling her white lab coat tightly to her body with her arms crossed over her chest.  _Wait...a white lab coat?_ As careful as I was, I approached the short lizard and questioned her cautiously, "Um...miss?" She jumped, startled obviously, as she turned to face me. The colorful orange in her face sank to a pale yellow orange as she faced me. "T-T-The H-H-human?!" She gulped her stutter, taking a step back until her tail grazed against the brick wall of the bar.  _Poor girl. She must be freezing!_ Ignoring her fear of my species, I pointed towards the skeleton's home as I spoke calmly to her, "I'm sorry for scaring you. But I think Grillby's is closing early cause of the snowman building contest. Um you look very cold. Would you like to have some hot cocoa o-or something? I'm sure Papyrus wouldn't mind if I used his kitchen." The lizard lady blinked for a moment before she stuttered in reply, "T-T-They are l-letting you s-stay are their h-home?" I couldn't tell if she truly was stuttering out of fear or of being cold. She didn't look like the type of monster that would linger in cold environments. "I guess the rumors of me staying at their home really has spread fast, huh?" I chuckled nervously. The short monster took a moment, examining me from head to toe, before she pulled herself from the wall to take a step closer to me. "T-That would be very n-n-nice of you. U-Um m-m-my name is A-Alphys. I-I'm the R-Royal Scientist l-located in H-Hotland. Um...D-Do you know if S-Sans is at home? I-I have to see him. H-He isn't a-answering his ph-phone and I-it is urgent for me t-to speak with him." I nodded in understanding, "Urgent, huh? Yeah. He's at home. He is probably still asleep if he didn't hear the phone ring, again. Come on. I'll make us some hot cocoa once we get there, okay?" Alphys smiled at me, pushing up her glasses with her pinky, before she followed behind me towards the skeleton house.

 

As expected, Sans was definitely still asleep. Though, during the time I was gone, Sans' body had gone from lounging on the couch comfortably, to straight up passed out drunk, upside down, with his noggin crushed to the carpet of the floor, with one hand on his chest (which was exposing his rib cage) and the other hand hovering over his head on the floor. His feet were the most funny. They were spread wide, with one some how finding its way hooked over the back of the couch and the other digging into the cushions of the couch. Both Alphys and I fought the urge to burst into hilarious giggles at this new sight of Sans. I, however, took the initiative to snap a quick pic of the lazy bum with the cell phone Toriel had given me.  _I am soooo saving this._ Snapping the pic and setting it as my background, heh, I slid my phone into my back pocket and walked over to the snoozing skeleton. I kneeled down and nudged his shoulder with my hand gently, "Sans? Sans, wake up. There's a Dr. Alphys here to see you." He grumbled a bit before finally opening one eye and sighing as he lifted himself up. "at least you don't hit me with a plate of spaghetti like my bro does, kid." I shrugged with a smile as I replied, "Oh he did. You never had breakfast, remember? He gave you a nice Italian wig though. Hehe." He grinned through his groan as he patted the top of his skull with his gloved hand carefully. "Don't worry, Sans. I cleaned it up before I left to the store." He looked up at me with a look of surprise on his skull, "you went out, kid?" I nodded and pointed to the note on the television, of which Alphys was overlooking, "Yup. I left you a letter, just in case you had woken up. Anyway, she wanted to talk with you about something urgent." Now I had his attention. Sans stretched once before finding his way to sitting on the couch properly. "it must be pretty bad if you're visiting my place, al. what's up?" He asked as Alphys walked over, fumbling with her lab coat in her hands in a nervous habit. "Uh before you two start talking, I was wondering if there is any hot cocoa I could make for the three of us? She looked pretty cold outside and I offered it to her, but I guess I should have asked you first." Sans smirked at me lazily before replying, "nah it's all good. there's some up on the second shelf on the right of the fridge." "Alright." I grinned at him before making my way to the kitchen. It didn't take long before I could over hear their conversation from the kitchen.

 

"gotta admit, al. i'm kinda shocked you're not scared of the kid. she warmin' up to ya already?"

 

"Y-You know I-I've been keeping an e-eye on her t-through the s-surveillance c-cameras, S-Sans. B-But besides that, M-Mettaton h-has been asking me a t-thousand and one questions about the h-h-human."

 

"not him again." I heard him groan.

 

"I-I'm sorry, Sans. I-I know you don't approve of my c-creation. B-But he's n-not that bad o-once you get to know h-him. He's highly interested in h-her, in fact. H-He's seen her on the footage a-as well. Also f-from B-Burgerp-pants too. I-It seems they like her."

 

"then you see she's not a threat to our kind. is that why you're here, al? what are you looking for? an autograph for your bucket of bolts?"  _Wow. Sans really doesn't like Mettaton, huh?_

 

"N-no... T-There is something very...-s-strange, Sans. S-something had just.... _appeared_ f-from out of no where. I-It's located nearby, I-in Waterfall. Seeing as how I-it's literally a few b-blocks away from U-U-Undyne's, I-I asked her and P-Pa-Papyrus t-to look into it. T-They found a door, Sans. A-A grey door."

 

I gasped softly from the kitchen. I had the three cups of water resting from being heated in the microwave. Peeking around the corner, I watched Sans and Alphys speak to themselves. Even though they were trying to be quiet, I was lucky as to be able to hear them.

 

"a door? in waterfall? I've never seen a grey door in waterfall. you sure this is accurate?"

 

Alphys nodded earnestly, "Y-Yes! T-There is something else. U-Undyne tried opening the d-door but it wouldn't budge. N-Not from turning the doorknob or f-from magic. I-In fact, Sans...I-It negates m-magic. It makes no sense."

 

Sans' face looked a shade or two paler from my view, "....the fuck?" 

 

Alphys gulped before continuing, "T-There is....one more thing.... A-Apparently...they could feel something... S-someone...is inside the door o-on the other side."

 

Even though it was a little difficult to tell, out of the corner of my eye, I could see the life in Sans' eye sockets dissipate instantly at this information. "yeah. this is definitely urgent.... shit... where's my bro and undyne now?"

 

"They a-are going t-to see if the m-monsters at the s-snowman c-contest are s-safe. U-Undyne s-said she'd come back to g-guard the door a-afterwards. W-what should w-we do, Sans?"

 

"....i'll check it out. just be sure no one from your lab comes by until I say so, alright?"

 

"Can I come too?" I asked, walking in with a tray of freshly made hot cocoa as promised. "W-w-what? No! I-I'm sorry, miss H-human but w-we don't know w-what's behind that door. I-It could b-be dangerous!" I frowned at Alphys' words as I sat the tray down on the table. "But I'm curious. I never had a good chance to get a proper look at Waterfall and....w-well I honestly need to see this door." I half-answered. It was difficult to hide the truth from them, but in a way, I was trying to be as honest as possible. "I-I I-implore you, please d-don't go there! F-for your own s-s-safety!" Aplhys begged, of which I could only reply with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Doctor. But I really wanna go! I'll be safe. Sans is going, right? He's tough as bones, remember?" She shook her head back and forth quickly, "N-n-n-no! T-this isn't the time f-f-for jokes!" "kay." Sans' voice interrupted her stutter, earning instead an abrupt gasp from the lizard woman. "Y-y-y-you can't b-be serious." She frowned, defeated as Sans snaked his hand over to a cup of hot cocoa and took a long sip from the steaming beverage. "it's alright, al. i'll keep the kid safe. promise." He winked at the lizard, who had reluctantly grabbed a cup of hot cocoa as well. I too held my own to my lips as I smiled at Sans from behind my cup. "Thanks, Sans." He flashed a smirk at me as he shrugged, "no problem, kiddo. 'sides. I needed to chat with you about something." I blinked and peered at him with a raised eyebrow, curious. "Really? What about?" "i'll tell ya on our way there. fer now, i'm starvin'. you girls wanna go to grilbz?" He asked, draining the last of his cocoa (how????) down with ease before setting it down on the table. "Uh sorry, Sans. But the bar closed early for the snowman building contest." His grin faltered into a disappointed grin, if that was possible, as he groaned once more for the day, "what? are you kidding? well shit. guess i'm munching on my bro's leftovers again." Alphys and I shared a nervous chuckle as we both watched him retreat into the kitchen, followed by a few rattling sounds of dishes being pushed around in the kitchen.

 

I sat on the couch, finishing up my hot cocoa with Alphys as she explained to me her robot, Mettaton, to me. Apparently he is not only a robot, but a ghost monster residing inside of the robot body. Most of the time Mettaton's body is in the shape of a television screen, but as of late, he had been begging for Alphys to develop a new, more humanized look for him. He _really_ admires the entertainment that humans share, it seems. Though, despite how eager she was to answer my questions of the robot of which Papyrus fanboy'ed over, there was something she had been wanted to ask about with me for a long time. Since I had emerged from the Ruins, in fact. Anime. Apparently, the short lizard scientist is head over heels in love with the Japanese cartoons. The drama, story line, artistic ways of the characters, the music. _Everything_. It was honestly very welcoming to discuss such a topic with a monster, of all things. Having hardly any friends up on the surface, I always longed to share a fangirl moment with a friend. And it was even more of a surprise to see how fast Alphys wanted to become my friend. She even added her phone number into my cell phone to me, as well as tweaked it with a few improvements (wow) to the tiny hand held device. It's amazing what monsters can do down here. Though, no matter how interesting our conversation lingered, my mind was still rolling about what Sans had said. _Just what could he want to talk about? I had already told him everything I know about the tape and my brother. I even told him my real name. What more could he want to know? Did he still not trust me? I thought he and I were starting to really understand each other.. What if.. What if he knows something about the grey door?_ My eyes trailed over to see Sans, slouched in his seat at the table as he played with his food before dousing a large amount of ketchup all over his spaghetti noodles (okay, ew..). He didn't notice my stare, luckily. Or maybe he didn't mind me watching him. None the less, I still couldn't help but wonder. Why would it be so bad if he knew my intentions with the grey door? He's willing to take me there. Maybe, if I'm careful enough, I can get him to help me figure out some more about skeleton monsters. I still don't know if the book is enough for me to understand their ways. But...if I'm wrong...then how will I explain to him about the voice in my head? He might be thinking I'm trying to find some kind of stupid secret about monsters.  _I..I hope he will trust me....Oh God, I hope he'll still trust me_.


	7. Painting in Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprises fills the air at each turn for Frisk. She is met with many good and bad surprises, some even leaving her quite flustered. But after finally meeting the owner of the voice in her head, her day of surprises continue as she is introduced to another new, but familiar, face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Griiiiiiin*  
> Hehe I wanted to make this chapter special for everyone, considering how long you all had to wait due to my many technical difficulties. Not only that, but I couldn't wait for this chapter! So far, I'd say this is my favorite ^^ I hope you all enjoy it~!

Walking with Sans through Waterfall was far more than interesting, to say the least. When I been running away from Undyne's crazy rage, I never had the chance to stop and enjoy the scenery. I'm actually quite glad Sans volunteered to walk with me, rather than his typical 'shortcut' route. Naming the area 'Waterfall' was dead on for such a beautiful landscape. Throughout the distance, a constant echo of water flowing in rushed movements could be heard as we walked on in silence. I had never noticed before, but now that I stood here, with Sans (er excuse me, I mean Geno), I can gaze upon the enchanting shimmer of vibrant colorful stones dancing upon the rocks on the walls and ceiling of the cavern. It did not matter that there was no sunlight nor moonlight to radiate such a beautiful shine on these, what were these? Diamonds? Gems? I asked Geno if he knew, but he simply shrugged, "no one really knows, kid. the best I can say is it's both gem stone and magic infused. see, all of the underground is nothing but magic. you've noticed that, right? now, I know you humans dig up beauties like these to sell or mold into fancy pransy jewelry. but down here, us monsters look up at these little sparks of light as our stars." I gasped softly at the realization, "W-wait really?" He nodded, stuffing his fingerless gloved hands into his pockets as he strolled beside me. "yup. we don' got no real sky, like you surface guys. this is the closest we've got... it may even be all we'll ever get." I frowned at the sudden sad tone of voice he spoke with before he shrugged once again, shaking off the gloom quickly.  
  
I had noticed, since last night, how Geno had been trying to hold back on his gloomy side. It's one thing to keep his true self from Papyrus, but from me too? But, he wanted to walk with me in Waterfall for a reason, right? When I had first met 'Sans', he looked at me with distrust and automatic hatred. Now, however, he's becoming more open and from the looks of it, I think he wants to get closer to me. _He needs a friend. This is my chance to earn his trust!_ Fulfilled with new found confidence, I felt determined more than ever to speak up to the 'star' gazing skeleton. "I'll admit, Geno. I didn't expect you to want to walk with me through Waterfall. Is it just to show me these beautiful stars of yours, or is there another reason why you wanted to chat?" It was easy to see the faint smirk on his forever grin on his skull grow an inch the moment I referred to him as 'Geno'. It seems he's really getting attached to that name, ironically. "nah. well, okay sorta. I figured you didn't get a chance to look at this place. but, yeah, that's not really the reason why I wanted to talk with you. come on. let's sit over here and i'll tell you why."  
  
Trailing close behind him, Geno led us to an area filled with those glowing mushrooms I encountered while running from Undyne. But those little shrooms were not what had caught my eye. It was the intense field of electric blue flowers, popping out of the dark dew green grass. "these are echo flowers." Geno spoke next to me. _When did he get so close?_ I barely had the chance to notice his hand on my shoulder, pulling me to sit down next to him beside the field of these lovely flowers. _O-Oh my God. Taking me to a totally to die for land filled with these, what did he call them? Echo flowers? And showing me the 'stars' he is so enthralled by. Is...Is this....a date?! W-wait a second. Then that would mean this is our...s-second date?!_ My mind flashed back to when he stayed with me to mingle with the monsters in Grillby's bar, and had even paid for some burgers to share with me. _Oh my God. We are definitely on a date. No wonder the shop lady was saying rumors about us! I-I wonder... Does Geno have a crush on me?_ The thought alone was enough to get my heart to speed up in a fluster. "you okay, kiddo?" Something about his voice just made me think he was enjoying my embarrassment. Chuckling at my side, he patted my back lightly before taking his hand back, sliding it into its pocket quickly. "just kiddin', kid. anyway, I wanted to see what chya bought from the store."  
  
 _Aaand there goes my excitement for my date. Why'd he have to mention my trip to the shop?!_ "U-Uh it's nothing much. Just a book. That's all." I answered, hoping he wouldn't be interested in a boring book. Unfortunately, my hopes were shattered, seeing as how he urged for me to continue. "didn't picture you as the reading type. what kind of book did you get?" I shuffled my movements away slightly, feeling awkward in this moment. "I-It's just a book, Geno." Feeling his silent stare, I knew he was trying to egg me on. And it was working. "Oh! Fine!" I hated myself for giving in, but darn it! You can't say no to that face! Reaching into my black backpack, I pulled out the monster handbook and sat it on my lap, exposing the cover for him to see. "a book about monsters? 'don't remember seeing something like that at the shop. 's that new?" He asked. I shrugged lightly as I traced my finger along the edge of the book's spine. "It could be. I never had a chance to look through it." "why'd you buy a book on monsters, kid? you coulda just asked me or paps if you wanted to know about the town folk." Ah, there's the question I was afraid he'd ask. I had to chose my words carefully. I didn't want to ruin what little chance of a friendship with him that I had, nor did I want to reveal my intentions of the book; to understand the voice in my head. But no matter what, I _had_ to answer him, "W-well.. I know it's weird to say it but... Well I'm still an outsider to your people, right? I just feel that it's um...wrong of me to just walk up to someone and....ask such personal questions about them because of my curiosity." It wasn't _exactly_ a lie. I really was interested in monster habitat and their ways of living through magic. I probably had thousands of questions I wanted answered, and even if this book doesn't provide such answers to my curiosity, I'm thankful enough to get a better understanding of the people down here. I could only hope that what I said was enough for Geno to accept and move on from the topic. Unfortunately, I seemed to have gotten his full attention due to this book.  
  
Scooting a bit closer to me, Geno's eye lights lingered on the cover of the one in a half inch thick book before those same eye lights of his met my own stare. "well, let's tap into that curiosity, then. think this book has anything on, let's say.....flower type monsters?" I tilted my head to looked at him with obvious confusion in my eyes. _Flower monsters? What flower monsters? I don't remember any-_ A flash of my memory to when I fell onto that wide patch of yellow flowers brought my attention to light. _Wait.. There was a flower monster! He called himself Flowey, right? Why would Geno be interested in such a creature? Sure, he attacked me and everything, but isn't he stuck in the Ruins with Toriel and those other monsters? I was pretty sure that once I left the Ruins, the door had been shut and locked behind me. How does Geno know about such a creature? A-are there more hostile Floweys deeper in the underground?_ "ey, kiddo? you alright? didn't mean to scare you. i'm just being cautious for my bro, alright? come on, smile for me again." Geno's left hand found its way to pat my thigh gently, easing away a bit of my inner turmoil. _What am I doing? I'm probably making him even more worried than I intended._ Quickly shaking my fears of that cruel flower from my mind, I nod and return my focus to the pages in the book.  
  
Searching through the index, Geno and I frowned silently at the information it gave to us. Or lack there of, in this case. Apparently, there are no such thing as a flower monster in the underground. _But that can't be right. I clearly remember an evil little yellow flower summoning white seed pellets at me before Toriel came to my rescue. If flower monsters don't exist, then what does that mean about Flowey? Is he a new species for monster kind?_ Despite how unlucky our chances were in looking up about flower-type monsters, I _did_ manage to find a chapter on skeletons. A long chapter, in fact. It gave the typical explanation of what a skeleton's body would look like, the differences from short to tall height, and some were even believed to have thicker bone mass than a typical frail human skeleton. The chapter continued, explaining how skeleton monsters were the only ones able to use blue magic. Blue magic itself is known as a 'gravity grabber' of sorts. _That explains why it was so difficult for me to be able to dodge Papyrus' bone attacks in our battle. But then I literally flew like ten feet in the air to jump over the tallest bone attack he had. Was that from Geno?_ "didn't know you were so into us, kid. you could have just _asked_ if you wanted to go to the bone zone." I blushed wildly at Geno's chuckle from his little joke. Er.. At least I hope it was a joke. He really likes to tease me. And seeing as how he is laughing at my embarrassment, I felt it necessary to make him eat his words. "Hey, what's this? 'Skeletons have a strong attraction to humans and have always craved to touch their skin'?" I looked up at Geno with a wink. "Is that true, _Geno_?" Now it was his turn to bring that notice hue of soft blue to appear on his cheek bones. Quickly, he shrugged and looked away, mumbling softly before he spoke in reply, "er...kinda yeah? it's not like what you think though. us skeletons don't have skin, so yeah. human skin makes us a little er…...excited." I felt my lips turn up into a grin followed by a chuckle, "Really? That's so cute!" I held back another chuckle as Geno's blue blush darkened by a hint. "you think it's cute that my bro and I think of you as a pet in our house?" At that, I had no choice but to pout. "You think of me as a pet?" His taunting smirk returned as he brought his left hand up to ruffle my hair lightly. "nah. just pullin' your leg, kiddo." Something tells me he's lying. Though, I still think it's adorable how a skeleton monster yearns to feel human skin. _Wait, can skeletons even feel anything? They clearly have tongues, but that's from magic, right? Ugh, maybe I'm thinking too much about this. Ah, hey! I don't believe it. This is exactly what I need!  
  
_ Turning the page, Geno and I came face to face with a glossary of text. Reading on, I learned that a skeleton's text box is considered special compared to other monsters. Their text is different for each skeleton and can even increase in difference from uppercase to lowercase text. The chapter continued, presenting each textile for skeletons that are considered normal to see. It even included Comic Sans and Papyrus. But what caught my attention the most was the next page. Strange symbols stood side by side in an alphabetical grid. I recognized these symbol instantly. And so did Geno. "......give me the book, kid." Geno spoke with a low octave to his voice. It sent chills down my spine. And somehow, I knew not to give in to his demand even as the voice entered my mind once again, catching my attention with worry once more. ~~No! Please, child. Do not give him the book! This is the only chance you have to understand me! YOU'RE my only chance to get out of here!~~ My heart sped with a bump in haste as I slowly shook my head at my skeleton friend sitting beside me. I noticed his gloved hands were trying to pull the book from my lap, but I tightened my grip on the edges. "I-I'm sorry, Geno. But I bought this. It's mine and I don't want to possibly ruin it." Flinching at my words, I felt my quickened heartbeat shutter in a twist as I noticed the pain in his eye lights. It wasn't my intention to hurt his feelings but surely he must know that I was speaking the truth. None the less, he spoke quietly to me once again. "you think i'm going to damage it?....." He sighed deeply at he stared at me with tiny pin pricks in those eye sockets of his. "you're awfully interested in this chapter for a reason. _why?_ " I gulped lightly as my vision returned to the symbol filled page. The text naming these symbols read 'Wing Ding' in bold print. It was obvious how insanely cautious Geno was being over a book. _Why must it be so hard to speak to him? I was just gaining his trust and now I feel like every word I speak might throw me into a pit of needles. I like Geno. I don't want to lose his trust. But.. How can I get around this without him getting even more wary of my intentions?  
  
_ Sighing softly, I lift up my gaze to meet with Geno's. "I need this. Please? Understanding monsters and learning more about you... W-well it's.... it's a brain teaser for me. A...puzzle I want to complete." Any spark of life in Geno's skull diminished bit by bit as he listened to my obvious lie. But, some how, he bought it. "shit.. I swear, kid. the more I hang out with you, the more you remind me of my bro."  I frowned lightly, "Which one? The one who I became friends with....or the one my brother killed?" Geno's silence felt bitter in the air and I already regretted bringing up the death of his real brother. I couldn't truly say I understood Geno's position in life. How many times has he watched his brother, his only living family member, to be turned to dust? The knot in my heart twisted once more as I felt remorse for my choice of words. Hesitantly, I sat my hand over his own, hoping he wouldn't mind my hand on top of his. "G-Geno. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" "undyne." He interrupted, lifting his head up to look around. "H-Huh?" I asked, following his gaze. In one quick movement, Geno took my hand and closed the book. He pushed the book to my chest as he lifted me up. "undyne's coming. come on. we told al we'd check out that grey door, right? let's go before we're turned into fish fry."  
  
Finding the grey door was not hard at all. In fact, it was a straight shot on the direct path coming from Snowdin. But the fact that this door just, in a sense, 'magically' appeared, is blasphemous in itself. Though, I hadn't come through this part of Waterfall earlier. I remembered coming in from the Hotland entrance. When we approached, Geno (or Sans, in this case, considering how he wants me to name him as such when we are in public) and I noticed Papyrus standing guard a few feet from the door, holding a long bone in his hands. "AH! BROTHER AND MY HUMAN FRIEND! DOCTOR ALPHYS SENT ME A MESSAGE THAT YOU TWO WERE COMING." Papyrus retracted his magic, causing the bone in his hands to vanish before he approached us. "THIS IS THE MYSTERIOUS GREY DOOR THAT HAD APPEARED SUDDENLY. UNDYNE AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET INSIDE, BUT LOOK." He pointed to the door, "THERE IS NO DOORKNOB. AND THAT'S NOT ALL. UNDYNE CAN SENSE SOMETHING IN THERE. THOUGH, IT'S HARD TO TELL WHAT IT IS, EXACTLY." Taking a step closer, we examined the door from a safe distance. The door was a solid grey tone. Brand new looking, in fact. Just as Papyrus had said, the door held no way of opening or closing the entrance. It didn't even have any hinges fastening it to the glittering gemstone wall. If anything, it almost looked like the door wasn't even real. It almost looked... _painted_ on. "bro, undyne is on her way over here. could you distract her for us while I take a look at this thing? wouldn't want our little human to get under her _scales_." Most likely resisting the urge to cringe in loud annoyance at Sans' pun, Papyrus nodded before walking towards the way we came, patting my shoulder lightly with a friendly smile as he left in the distance.  
  
Now that we were alone, Geno's smile instantly turned grim as he glared at the door. "stay behind me, kiddo. and don't move." I gulped and nodded, clutching the book of monster lore to my chest in anticipation. I have no idea how it is possible, but I, too, could feel.... _something_ from the door. It's like I could not only hear someone breathing, but I could sort of...feel it too. But not on my skin. It was more like I could feel a foreign breath on my insides. _Is this what it's like to sense magic?_ Geno walked up to the door and placed his gloved hand on the flat surface. Though, the moment he touched it, he retracted his hand instantly, as if he had been stung by a bee. "someone is in there. and he's not a good someone... I don't think so, anyway. the magic from this door is wavering uncontrollably. I can't read it well enough. it's possible this door may just vanish by itself in time, but until then, we have to be sure no one else tries anything with this door." He turned back around to face me. "...who ever that's in there....it's like I know 'em. just can't put a name to it though." I frowned at his words as I approached him. But the moment I got closer, the voice returned, louder and clearer in my mind. ~~You're here. Right outside this door. I can feel you, Frisk. ... Hurry. Please. You have the book now. You must enter the grey door. Come in and speak to me. Please.~~  
  
Once again, I felt a strange sense of eagerness from the voice. _I...need to get in there. But how? Geno isn't going to let me, or anyone, through. And I'm probably going to shatter whatever amount of friendship I have left with him if I force my way through._ No matter how ruffled my thoughts were, I still felt the determination within me to push on. I had to try. Gulping a large lump in my throat, I fought to speak up, "C-Can I try-?" "no." He barked back, instantly. Feeling a twinge in my mouth to pout, I tried again. "Geno, please? I want to see what's in there." I felt my heart quiver as his eye lights flickered out of existence. "danger is what could be in there. do you want to die, kid? I can't protect you if you go in there. none of us can. so forget about it and go home." Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. "Geno. I'm going in whether you want me to or not." For a moment, his eye lights returned, glaring at the book in my hands before facing me with a hard stare. "whatever it is that's in there...it has something to do with that book. doesn't it?" I gulped once more, letting silence speak for me. With a rough sigh, he stepped up to me, placing both hands on my shoulders, "why can't you just stay and listen to me for once? we don't know what's in there. besides that, there isn't even a damn door knob. you _can't_ get in, kid. none of us can, even if we wanted to. just let the door go and it'll vanish within time." "I can't do that, Geno. Just because someone is in there doesn't mean it's a bad person. He could be needing our help!" His sunken eye sockets returned once more as he shouted back, "and how do we know you'll even come back?!" I gasped, flinching at the sudden tone of his voice.  
  
He sounded like he was trying so hard to fight for me. Begging for me to stay. Was he afraid I'd vanish from sight forever? Is that even possible? "Geno.." I began to speak though before I could attempt to, the grey door flashed a bright light for a split second before dimming down back to its original bland grey tone, revealing a bronze doorknob in the right side of the door. We both stared at it in shock until Geno turned to face me once more. "...…..it's calling you...isn't it?" He asked with a depressing voice. He sounded so broken, given up. It tore my heart to shreds listening to this lost version of Geno. I wanted to take his pain away. But...I knew he was right. Moving slowly, I nodded my head in agreement, "Yeah.." Silence loomed between us. That is until Geno pulled me into a tight embrace, wrapping his arms around me as if I were going to run from him at any moment. I was so confused by his actions, that I almost missed hearing him whisper into my ear. "why'd I have to meet that damn brat...? why couldn't have been you? damn it... it's not fair. and now that I've met you...i'm losing you.... fuck..." I gulped loudly, pushing down the urge to cry at his heartfelt words. He was pouring his heart out to me like this, begging for me to stay with him and his brother and to be honest, I probably would have. _But... I can't just turn away from that voice. Whoever it is that's in there, he needs help. I'm sure of it._ "G-Geno.." I speak softly, catching his attention. Though, to my surprise, he caught my own attention by doing something I had never expected him to do.   
  
Tightening his phalanges into my shoulders, I felt the sudden pull of his hands drag me closer to him. Erasing time from my mind from this action, Geno pressed his teeth to my lips, silencing my words with a skeleton's kiss. Admitting to being just shocked is far from what I was feeling right now. My eyes grew wide as he took the next step in this motion by snaking his ecto blue tongue out, licking my bottom lip slowly. The feeling of his tongue sent shivers throughout my entire body and before I knew it, I began whimpering softly once my lips parted. The moment I gave him access to my mouth, Geno's tongue dove into my mouth, finding my own tongue with ease and presenting a curious flavor I had not expected. After witnessing how many times he has drowned himself in ketchup bottles, I honestly expected the taste of ketchup and bones from him. But this? It was nothing like ketchup. It was almost intoxicating with a hint of some kind of fruit. _W-What is this? Strawberries? Oh God. W-What is happening right now? A-Am I really being kissed by Geno?_ His tongue rolled over mine, massaging it in a hushed growl from his mouth, sending vibrations through me. _Oh GOD. He's one Hell of a kisser. WHY is he SO GOOD at this!? He's a skeleton! I-It makes no sense!_ Pulling away from my lips, leaving a loud pop between us, Geno chuckled at my deep red cheeked face. "sorry. but no matter how jealous I am of your sans, I had to take the chance. just once I wanted to see if you tasted like I dreamt. i'm glad I did it." "W-wha-?" I start, until Papyrus' voice boomed from the distance. "BROTHER! UNDYNE IS ALMOST HERE!"   
  
Geno and I stared at each other in silence before he backed away, holding out an Echo flower to me. "What is-?" "you remember these, right? the echo flowers I showed you earlier. if you touch the center of the flower, you will hear a message someone spoke into the flower. and if you want to record a message, you hold your finger in the center and then speak to it... this flower...I want you to have it. never let it go. okay, kid? a little gift..from me to you." He blushed a soft haze of blue across his cheekbones as he spoke, holding out the flower to me as if he was asking me to go to Prom with him. This moment would have been cute if I never felt a lingering sense of woe in the air. _Why...do I get the feeling that this....may be the last time I ever see him?_ Tears begged to break from my eyes, clouding my vision lightly. Shocked by my reaction, Geno quickly pulled me in for another hug as he whispered into my ear again. "it's okay. really. please don' cry. i'm going to do something I really hate doing, okay? i'm going to make a promise with you." I blinked back another set of tears, "A-A promise?" He nodded once, continuing, "yeah. a promise. listen to me, okay? frisk. I promise that i'll never forget you. not even if I meet your fuck up of a brother again. not even if you never return from that damn door.... I promise, frisk. i'll never forget you." He then sealed that promise by giving me another kiss.  
  
Pulling away, he placed the flower delicately into my hands. "go." He nodded at me with a smile and wink before walking passed me to go join his brother. "i'll help my bro distract undyne. you get to that door, kiddo." With that final word, he rushed off into the distance. I wanted so much to run back to him and never let go. But I couldn't. I just couldn't. Someone is waiting for me behind that door. Someone who could be good or bad, I'm not sure. But all I know is that they contacted me and that they need me. I can't turn away now. Taking a deep, shaking breath, I face the grey door quietly. The constant echo of the water flowing in the cavern remained in the silence, providing me the only source of calming comfort in this depressing moment. _Please... Whatever may come to them, keep Geno and Papyrus safe. They have endured too much already. Please...Please stay safe._ Clenching my fingers around the stem of Geno's Echo Flower into a firm grip, I held it along with the monster handbook close to my chest while I hovered my free hand over the doorknob. Anticipation rose within me, meeting my fear and sorrow with hesitation. _Come on, Frisk. You made it this far. There is no holding back now._ Sighing deeply, I grab onto the doorknob. Overcome with a new sense of determination within my heart, I twist the doorknob and open the door and by not looking back, I step into the new area, ready to greet the voice inside my head.  
  
Unfortunately, instead of a person, or monster in this case, to greet me, I'm instead greeted by darkness. Complete black emptiness. "U-Uh..." I spoke into the dark space only to gasp as I heard movement. ~~"You're here.... You're really here. I...I can't believe it.~~ " The distorted male voice was much clearer this time. His voice echoed in the room(?) but still resonated the same distortion and broken voice that I had grown accustomed to these passed few days. Though, as expected, I still couldn't understand him. And standing here in a dark space didn't help one bit. "U-Uh I-I can hear you but I still don't understand you. U-um if you don't mind, could you give me a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness? I can't really...see.." Another shuffling sound responded followed by his voice once more, ~~"Of course. Take your time."~~ I smiled into the darkness, glad that he must have agreed to my request. Thankfully, my eyes grew use to the darkness quicker than expected. Apparently I had entered an enclosed space revealing a room. Literally a bland room. There were no lights, of course. No furniture, no windows. Just a single grey door and the bland white tiled floor beneath our feet. Er, well, _my_ feet. My companion, on the other hand, didn't seem to have feet. I think. In fact, he didn't look so good at all. His skull resembled that of a skeleton skull, however there were certain facial structures that were quite odd from a typical skeleton skull. For starters, he had two scars on his face. One going from the top of his right eye stretching up passed his forehead, while the next scar hung from his left eye to the upper corner of his mouth. His right eye was wincing, leaving only a slit to remain open while the left eye socket was a warped oval. Even his eye light, gleaming only inside of the left eye socket, was dim; almost lifeless. But as he gazed at me with a tired and strained smile, I notice the dim light flicker to a shade brighter. It was as if I could see the literal hope return to his very being. _Is that what I am to him? His hope?_ The most surprising about this distorted figure in front of me was the fact that he looked to be melting. _Literally_ melting. Even his clothes, which seemed to be a long black garb (though it looked more like goop), had begun to drip from the sleeves to splash on to the tiled floor, only to disappear in a slow fade a moment later.   
  
 _My God... He... Is this normal for him? But he's a skeleton a-and he looks so...damaged. Did he get hurt by coming here? How did he even get here?_ Questions littered my mind as I stood dumbfounded in front of him. It was like being in an art museum, staring at a malformed piece of art. A statue made with beautiful imperfections. It only took me a second to realize I was staring with my mouth agape like an idiot. I must have been making him uncomfortable by looking at him like this. "S-Sorry." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "I just um....A-are....are you okay? Are you in pain?" His one undamaged eye light brightened as he opened his mouth, looking at me in surprise. He fought to speak, but after most likely realizing how I still didn't understand his language, he nodded his head slowly then somewhat shrugged lightly in silence. "A little, then? I-I see.." What was I to do in this situation? Was it safe to shake my hand with his in a proper introduction? If I did that, would I start to melt too? What is even causing this to happen to him? My eyes glazed down to my free hand as I lost my train of thought. I felt his stare on me as my gaze lingered on my hand before I heard him mumble something unintelligible to my knowledge. Looking back up to him, I tightened my grip on the book and flower's stem before I took a slow step closer to him and sat upon the hard tiled floor. Resting the book down in between us, I looked up at him with a small smile. "I-I know this is weird for me to do, but um well I hope you don't mind if I...resist shaking your hand. I don't know if whatever it is you're going through would...hurt me." He nodded slowly before he mimicked my movements and sank into the black goop, most likely attempting to sit down with me on the floor. Inhaling a shaky breath, I felt my shy smile grow a bit by his movements. Now feeling more confident in speaking with this new skeleton, I could only assume it proper to greet my new friend. _Or at least I hope he's my friend. I'm still not sure if he is trust worthy._ "Ahem. Um I-It's nice to meet you, finally. My name is Frisk." I greeted him with a smile, of which he easily returned (or as best as he could. His smile honestly looked more like a drunken grin than a friendly smile. But who am I to judge?). He opened his mouth again only to close it with a hurt frown. He must have realized that he couldn't introduce himself to me just yet.  
  
Feeling a hint of sympathy for his actions, I decided to begin talking about the reason why I'm here. "I found the book. It gave me a lot of detail about monsters and there's even a large section about skeletons. Um I know this is going to be hard to ask for from you, but if it's possible...could I have your time and patience in helping me decode your language? S-so then I can understand you?" The minor frown on his skull instantly beamed into a slight broken but wide grin as he listened to my words. And in full agreement, my silent companion shook his head up and down eagerly before he tapped his gooped hand upon the cover of the book lightly. Despite how dark the room was, together with the aid of my companion, I was somehow able to start understanding the strange symbols in the book listed under the skeleton text of Wing Ding. _Considering how he speaks with this text, I'm guessing that's his name._ Time ticked away as we read the chapter together. We started off with the basics. I was impressed at how much patience he had for doing this with me. Going over the typical 'A means this. B means that' kind of logic before he started teaching me through small sentences. 'Hello, my friend' and other basic phrases like 'I love pizza' made it easier for me to familiarize myself with the text. Hours lingered as we solved this tough puzzle. At times, I wondered how Geno and Papyrus were doing. Were they still guarding the door? Did they get in trouble with Undyne? Will I ever see Geno again? His kiss still remained in my mind and at times, I thought I could still feel his teeth on my lips.   
  
 ~~"Do you miss him?"~~ My goopy friend asked, causing me to look up at him with slight confusion. Taking a moment to decode his language in my mind, I realized he was most likely referring to Geno. "Y-You saw us?" I asked, feeling embarrassment wash through me. _That's right. Ever since I fell down here, this guy has been able to speak to me. Even requesting me not to tell too much to Geno and his brother. Of course he's been watching me!_ And to confirm my doubts, the goopy figure nodded his head with a small smile. ~~"I admit, I did not expect him to kiss you like that. You must have given him the HoPe he so desired. Interesting.."~~ Sitting up from leaning over the opened book, I face him with a pout on my face, "What do you mean by that?" He chuckled softly before answering, ~~"I meant exactly as I said, child. Sans, or as he referred to himself as 'Geno', he desired HoPe. What you normally view as 'HP', it literally means the HoPe to a monster. The less HoPe a monster has, the easier it is for that monster to die. Sans....or shall I say, Geno, had only 1 HoPe. Just like my Sans..."~~ That only brought me more confusion. "Geno mentioned that his Papyrus that I befriended isn't his true brother. That he had witnessed my brother killing him multiple times. Could you help me understand what he's talking about?" Though, before he was able to reply, the most unexpected thing began happening to the room.  
  
The entire space began shaking uncontrollably beneath our feet. Standing up was difficult and trying to find something to hold onto was far from easy. ~~"Quick! Hold on to me! I'm sure you won't be harmed if you don't hold on for a long period of time."~~ Gaster shouted to me, beckoning for me to hang on to him. Without a moment to lose, I quickly grabbed the book, held it to my chest and allowed myself to wrap my arms around Gaster, feeling his own dark frame close around me in a protective armor from the earthquake. The room itself probably vibrated haphazardly for a long five minutes before finally simmering down to a calm silence. Taking a moment to recuperate ourselves, we pulled away from each other to look at what had become of the room. To our surprise, the room had expanded. Vastly. No longer did we stand in a blank space of literally a tiled floor. Now we huddled together in what looked to be a kitchen. Though, it wasn't just any kitchen. I've seen the room before multiple times lately. "W-what? This... This doesn't make sense. H-How are we in Sans and Papyrus' home?" I asked to no one in particular. Standing up from Gaster, I stepped into the next room curiously. In deed, the entire layout of the room had changed. We were literally staying in the skeleton household. ~~"This is impossible. How are we here? This makes no sense.. Look."~~ Gaster mentioned, pointing to the window looming behind the couch in the living room. Peeking through it, we could only see the constant black darkness that I was greeted with before when I entered the room. So, in order words, what ever it was we were standing on had been expanded and given us more places to explore and familiarize ourselves with in the house. "I-I'm confused. What does this mean?" I turned to the goop skeleton behind me. He grumbled something before returning to the kitchen.  
  
I followed behind him quietly. How can a room, shrouded in complete darkness, have an earthquake and then change into a fucking _house_? ~~"Frisk. Look at this."~~ Catching my attention, I noticed Gaster had found a new door in the kitchen. I hadn't remembered seeing a door in the kitchen. Only the typical fridge, sink and cabinets. Walking up to him, I watched as he slowly reached out to grab the doorknob. He released a soft sigh before speaking gently, ~~"Thank the stars. I can touch this door."~~ "You mean...the grey door I came through.. You couldn't open it?" I asked. He nodded slowly with a longer sigh. ~~"Yes. Every time I tried, I'd feel my energy drain instantly from me. It was as if I was not allowed to go anywhere near the door."~~ I frowned at this information as I drew closer to peek through the new door. "If that's so, then how were you able to communicate with me?" He faced me as he replied, ~~"It was a feeling I had, honestly. I did not expect it to work. The moment you fell into the underground, I sensed your presence. And with what little magic I had in me, I focused on reaching out to you, in any way I could. It...was not easy. Multiple times I ended up passing out for hours. Though, I am glad I had taken that risk."~~ That honestly didn't make much sense to me. _Although, he is a monster. Maybe it is natural to sense a human like that?_  
  
Returning my attention to the door, I nodded for him to go ahead and open it. Once the door was opened, we both stood silently as we saw a concrete stairway with a wooden handlebar fastened into the wall leading down into a basement. ~~"This isn't right. We never had a basement. Where did this come from?"~~ _We?_ "I don't understand. You've lived here, Mister?" He chuckled softly before replying, ~~"You should know by now that you can resist the pleasantries, little one. But, yes. I use to live here with my.....Sans and Papyrus."~~ "Then, does that mean you're their father?" I asked. He flinched at my question, staring silently at the concrete stairway leading into the basement. Resisting the urge to answer my question, he made his way carefully down the stairs. I followed behind, curious about this new area. I was right in believing it was a basement, though it wasn't a typical basement. This room had a few strange machines littered about the room, including a large structure standing the in the far center, covered in a white drape. Gaster walked up to the mess in the room, examining at each individual object in awe. ~~"Sans' lab. I see. We can't step foot outside of this 'house' and yet his lab was added into the design of this duplicate building. His lab is suppose to be in a shed hidden behind the house. Not in a basement we never had. None of this is making any sense.."~~  
  
We returned to the living room in silent contemplation. Gaster obviously was just as confused about this whole situation as I was. Perhaps everything was created through magic? We are still underground, technically. I think. Looking around, I noticed that the magic flames under Sans' bedroom door was not active. Same with the multiple signs that normally sat on Papyrus' bedroom door. Could they just be normal bedrooms now? Even the little trail of sticky notes and sock that was placed next to the television in the living room was missing. Gaster was right. This place is an exact replica of the skeleton house, but with specific differences. Just what could have made such a thing to happen? "Is your magic strong enough to chance the environment?" I felt it necessary to ask. He shook his head as he walked up to me. ~~"No. My magic has been deteriorating since I ended up in the Void. I have no idea how this was created."~~    
  
"I did it."  
  
Gasping in complete surprise from the new, but somehow familiar voice, Gaster and I both turn to face the grey door. Standing with a proud, and somewhat taunting grin, stood Sans. _Wait, no. This isn't Sans._ The new monster in the room had a black stain on his right cheekbone and wore a soft beige toned long sleeve shirt underneath a dark grey toned shirt, matching the longer pants which also nestled underneath a pair of light brown shorts. Instead of the usual pink slippers I knew Sans would always wear, this new guy wore a set of sport shoes with a nifty tiger print stitched into the sides of the footwear. Sans' blue jacket was wrapped around his waist, followed by a lengthy brown scarf dangling from his neck, finishing it up with a matching brown pair of fingerless gloves snug into place on his hands. There were quite a few things about this guy that had caught my attention, apart from his attire. His belt was one thing that interested me. Wrapped around him was a normal dark belt, though it had a set of vials, each with their own specific color, peeking through heart shaped windows on each vial. But the most surprising about this new creature was the gigantic paint brush nestled against his back. From the look of it, he uses the giant paint brush quite often. The brush itself still had black paint dripping from its bristles. _Or is that the same black goop coming from Gaster?_ Upon closer inspection, I was wrong. It was definitely paint. I could see different tones of color mixed in underneath all that black sludge. This new 'Sans' guy chuckled softly at me, grinning with a wide smile as he watched us with one right blue eye light and, _Oh my God. Is his left eye a yellow star?!_ "I'm glad I was able to get in touch with you finally. It's nice to meet you two. Call me Ink."


	8. Of Infinite Possibilities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and Gaster are formally introduced to the Guardian of the multiverse: Ink Sans. He explains in heavy detail how dire the situation is when it comes to the universes. He needs their help for more than one reason. Can they trust him enough to listen to his plea?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! I'm so sorry for not updating like I intended. By the time I had gotten through 1/4 of this chapter, I didn't realize I was packing in everything all at once. Even now it feels a little cramped with everything said in the chapter. Please let me know if you all are confused. ^^; I wanted to make this chapter interesting.

"Heh. I almost amaze myself sometimes." The paint splattered version of Sans whistled loudly as he roamed about the living room, examining the view of the skeleton household in great detail. This house was definitely beautiful, even with the partial differences here and there. But what he said was confusing to me. "What do you mean?" I asked, walking up behind him as he examined the banister of the stairway. "I'm the reason why this house is here, in the Void, lil kid." He answered for me with a painted smile evident on his skull. Turning to face me and Gaster, this new guy, Ink I think he called himself, held his left hand out to me. Though I was nervous, I eventually grabbed his hand in a welcoming handshake. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. Yes, I'm Sans. But I'm not the Sans you're thinking of. I'm from another Universe. I am also designated as the Guardian of all Alternate Universes. People tend to call me Ink. Nice to meet you!" He seemed nice and energetic, but as I pulled my hand away from the handshake, I frowned lightly as green goop dripped from my fingers. _Is this fresh paint?_ Completely oblivious from my disgust, Ink walked over to Gaster, examining him from head to....well, not toe, but yeah. "Phew. The Void really has taken a bite outa you, eh Doc?" Gaster's silent stare seemed to hardened as this painted version of Sans drew closer to him. ~~"You know me?"~~ He asked, tilting his body away cautiously. I wondered quietly if I should divert Ink away from Gaster, but Ink didn't seem to care about Gaster's aversion towards him.   
  
"'Course I know you. It's my job to make sure every Universe lives on in safety. Gotta say though. Lately my job has been too difficult for me to handle." Ink muttered lightly as he walked back to the center of the room. Gaster and I looked to each other for a moment before we both decided to sit on the couch. Or rather, I sat on the couch while Gaster sort of 'sat' on the floor next to the couch, closer to me. His melted body would probably just slide off of the couch anyway. Besides, his cautious nature seemed to have heightened the moment Ink popped into the house. We obviously needed to know more about this guy. Everything he was saying didn't make any sense. _Alternate Universes? Being a Guardian? Just what is he talking about?_ Somehow reading my mind, Ink sat the giant brush, pole down bristle up as to avoid dripping paint on the floor, next to him so he could lean against it in support as he faced us. "I'm glad to have finally been able to get in touch with you both. Far too many problems have been happening and I can't take it alone anymore. I need help." I raised my hand timidly as I spoke, "I-I'm sorry, but what? Can you start off from the beginning, please? I'm not sure either of us understand." "Hmm..." Ink mumbled silently before he nodded. He grabbed his giant brush once more and walked over to the grey door entrance. _Is he ignoring me? Wait why is he leaving?!_ Thankfully, my concern to Ink's awkward behavior subsided easily as Gaster and I watched him literally lap the paint brush up and down the door, erasing the door knob entirely. ~~"What do you think you're doing? That is our only chance of getting out of here!"~~ I could hear the frustration in Gaster's voice, and I understood why. He had been in this black abyss for far too long. He is definitely desperate to leave this place; No matter how a house suddenly popped out of no where. Ink simply ignored his shouting to face us once more, "It'll come back. I have to reset the destination anyway. Don't worry. Geno promised to guard the door from his side.... Sorry, but you're not going back to Aftertale, Frisk. Not any time soon, anyway."  
  
"After...what?" I blinked in continuing confusion until I realized what he had just said. "W-wait, you met Geno?!" Ink's grin grew widely as he nodded at my shocked voice. "Yup! Gotta admit though. I didn't expect him to kiss you." Aaaand my embarrassment has returned. _How many skeletons have seen me be kissed by him?!_ I groaned loudly as Ink laughed at the growing blush on my face. He continued anyway, "Aftertale. The bad part of your reality, basically. It is a direct Alternate Universe from yours. See, it's a _long_ story and frankly, I don't have the time to draw out a diagram for you. An hour or two, at least." Gaster and I shared a look before we both returned our attention to Ink, who decided to continue to speak for us. "I'll try to make it simple for you to understand. See, there are literally _thousands_ upon _thousands_ of Alternate Universes being created every single day. I'm the only one who has been tasked to make sure each one is surviving through existence. Especially yours. Both of you come from the same Universe, of which has been called 'Undertale'." He paused before looking straight at me, "Frisk. I'm sorry to say this, but the Universe you were just in is not your Universe. It's called Aftertale. The genocide route of your Undertale. You've met Geno, and I'm shocked you gained his trust. He seriously believed you were Chara." He instantly held up a gloved hand to keep me from speaking, seeing as how I was eager to ask about my brother. "Your Undertale was suppose to be of a complete pacifist nature. But somehow, you and Gaster had both been ripped from your Universe. I know how Gaster had been taken from it and put in here, but you, Frisk. I have no idea how it happened. But I do know _what_ happened."  
  
Ink took a moment to catch his breath with a deep sigh before he continued, "Your brother is quite the enigma, Frisk. And a complete fucking ass, to boot." He shook his head as he let out another sigh, "Geno told you he killed your brother multiple times, right?" I nodded quietly. "Well, that _should_ mean your bro is long dead. But apparently his soul is resisting death. Geno told you about Chara's use of RESETing, right?" I nodded earnestly. What could this be leading to? "Your brother has become consumed with so much hatred, his soul had changed. He no longer has the same bright red Determination soul that you possess, Frisk. It's now a black mass of a rare and dangerous manifestation of 'Violent' Determination. Due to this, he has somehow used this viral menace in his soul to switch places with you. At some point, he must have tapped into your existence in the Pacifist equivalent of Undertale before you fell down into the Underground and had switched places to where he was at. In this case, that would have been Aftertale. Thus, you were treading through the Genocide equivalent of Undertale. Make sense?" I tilted my head at this information as I tried to piece together what he had just said. _So.. My brother had somehow switched places with me? But... that doesn't make any sense. If I have lived my entire life in this 'Pacifist Undertale' Ink said, then how the heck did my brother get placed into a direct opposite universe? I clearly remember falling into the Underground with my brother when I was young. We were both experimented on by that female monster, Suvia. Is there something I'm forgetting?_  
  
My silence spoke volumes for Ink. ~~"I do not understand how it is possible for one's soul to change so drastically. Frisk even said so herself that she and her brother were not mages to the Humans. Are you saying that something, or quite possibly someone, had corrupted Chara's soul?"~~ Gaster asked from beside the couch. Ink and I watched him for a moment before Ink replied with a nod. "I'm not sure if it's like that or not. Everything happened all in a single instant. That's why I'm picking at straws for help. Every minute I waste, the stronger he is becoming. And that's not the worst of it." Ink paused as his nifty eye lights shrunk in size, "He is effecting other AUs as well. I've noticed odd changes in many AUs and the only lead I have is the fact that they have all been changing the _exact same time_ as when you and your brother switched places. I can only assume he has something to do with it.... He is disturbing the balance of existence, guys. I need your help."  
  
"I-Ink?" His mismatched eye lights looked to me as I caught his attention. There was something about his story that seemed off and I couldn't help but to wonder. "I...W-well I was wondering. If I was switched with my brother and sent to this...Aftertale place... What happened to _my_ reality?" The answer I had received from the painter was not a pleasant one. He looked at me with a deep frown and a silent sigh before he spoke in an almost hushed whisper, "The Pacifist reality of Undertale....is gone." ~~"What..?"~~ Gaster and I sat in shock. Our reality...is gone..? Completely? "Undertale hasn't vanished completely, if that's what you're thinking. If it was, you'd both be dead. You two are only a piece of what still lingers. So does this house. Though, I'm the reason why the house remains in tact. You should thank your Sans for that. It was his idea to save as much as I can from disappearing forever." ~~"You are speaking in riddles again. Are you saying that my so......Sans is alive?"~~ _Why does Gaster resist calling Sans his son? He is his son, right?_ Ink chuckled lightly at our confusion as he spoke once more, "Yes. Your Sans is alive and well. Pissed off to above the stars, but yeah. He's alive. He's not in Undertale anymore either. No one is. He asked me to save every monster soul that I could and take them somewhere safe." I leaned over on the couch as a hint of excitement rushed through me. "E-everyone is safe? Even Papyrus?" His grin grew as he nodded in approval. "Yup!" I couldn't help but to laugh softly at this information. _The Sans and Papyrus of my world. They are alive and well! I-I wonder if I'll ever meet them?_  
  
"Don't get too excited yet. Your Sans wasn't able to find out in time that everyone is safe. He had to get out of there before he, too, was going to be erased from the Universe." Ink mentioned. ~~"If what you say is true, then our Universe is.."~~ Gaster spoke, looking down to the floor with a lost expression before Ink replied. "Undertale is deteriorating in a steady pace. Waterfall is gone as well as most of Hotland and Snowdin. Only bits and pieces linger. Which is why I had to hurry to save what I could. Thank the stars you two are still alive. With your help, I may be able to fix all of this. But only if you can agree to help me." I raised my hand once more, "Sorry, but, what you said about Sans. How exactly did he get out if he wasn't with you?" Ink blinked, somehow causing the colors of his eye lights to change to some other random tone, before he replied, "He jumped into a tear of the Universe. Sans and Chara's battle was too dangerous for the Judgement Hall. Most likely because of Chara's soul, I'm guessing. All I know is that Sans fought on for time. He must have jumped into a tear the moment he saw the fragments of the world vanish closer to the Hall. And before you ask, yes. I can sense he's still alive. As to _where_ he is, I don't know yet. Sorry." Odd how Ink didn't really sound like he cared about Sans' safety. He is another Sans too, right? Shouldn't he be concerned?  
  
Silence remained in the room for a solid minute. Our thoughts clouded our judgement of this situation. Far too much was thrown at us. How could we make heads or tails of any of this? Can we even truly trust this 'Ink' guy? But, based on how desperate he sounds, we may have no other choice but to hear him out. Sharing a long look with Gaster, we both nodded to each other before we returned our gaze to the artist in the room. ~~"Alright. So, obviously, things are going from bad to worse, judging by what you've said. What are _we_ suppose to do about it? As you can plainly see, _I_ am stuck in this pit of darkness. Unless you have a special key in that brush of yours, I don't see how I can be of assistance to you. And quite frankly, I don't believe I can trust you enough to allow Frisk to follow in your footsteps."~~ Gaster spoke, though distorted, but still intelligible enough to understand. Ink didn't seem to notice the distrust in Gaster's words, "You saw the lab in the basement, right? I'll need you, Gaster, to see what you can do about finding a way to remedy this whole mess. As for Frisk, I'll have to direct her to another Universe. Actually, multiple Universes. With her help, if she could locate various anomalies in each destination for me, I could figure out how they connect. We may even be able to locate where Chara's exact location could be." ~~".... And why, pray tell, can I not leave this dreadful place? Haven't I been in here long enough? I will die if I linger any longer, don't you realize that?"~~ Ink frowned at the dire tone in Gaster's voice. I too was surprised. Though, I should have expected his desperate plea coming from Gaster.   
  
Ink answered, "The Void has become too use to your presence, Gaster. Since the day you entered this place, it has been both feeding off of your life force, as well as sustaining your very being. The reason why you haven't faded completely as of yet is because of Frisk. You both are from the same Universe and since you had finally been able to get in touch with her, she has become your anchor. The more you stay connected with her, the faster your body will regenerate and quite possibly, you'll even be able to finally leave this place." He paused for a moment, "It _will_ take some time, however. Time that we don't have. You see why I need both of your help instantly, right?" Silence loomed in the room between us, obviously answering for Gaster's distorted voice. I felt so sorry for him. He hates this place with a passion; the Void, I mean. Not the house. But the more I listened to Ink's words, the more I began to realize that the connection I share with Gaster, as well as the skeleton house popping into existence. It's a symbol of hope for Gaster. Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself. "Come on, Gaster. Let's help him. It sounds like Ink is not going to be able to save our home if we don't help him out. It's better than sitting in the Void twiddling our thumbs, right?" I pleaded to Gaster, who turned to look at me with a sad and defeated look on his broken skull. Another moment of silence echoed before he nodded his head once in agreement. ~~"Fine. What shall we do first?"~~ Gaster asked, looking back to Ink.  
  
Grinning widely as his mismatched eye sockets flickered to another random sequence of colorful shapes, Ink grabbed his brush once more and fastened it to his backside. "Come with me downstairs, Gaster. I'll show you what I think needs immediate repairing first." Ink replied, before turning his attention back to me. "I'm gonna be busy with Gaster for a while. How about you go put your gift from Geno in your room upstairs? You'll see that the rooms use to belong to the Sans and Papyrus of your world. But they don't anymore. It doesn't matter which room you chose. The moment you touch a doorknob, I made sure the room would fit itself to your own needs. The other will be used for Gaster." "U-Uh sure." I had almost forgotten about the echo flower I had in my black backpack. After watching Gaster carefully slide back up into a crouched standing position, he followed behind Ink down to the basement while I grabbed my backpack and made my way up the stairs in the living room.  
  
 _Which bedroom should I choose?_ Standing at the top of the stairs, I stood in between both bedrooms. To my left was Papyrus' bedroom, while Sans' room rested to my right. Was is really a good idea to just take someone else's bedroom? Though, Ink did say that once I touched the doorknob of my selected room, that it would alter itself to fit my personal needs. But still, these rooms, this entire house for that matter, didn't belong to me. Gaster didn't seem to make any objections on the matter. Perhaps he was still focusing on what Ink had said. _There is just so much to hold on to. Multiple Universes. The fact that our own Universe is crumbling bit by bit... Chara… I...knew my brother hated a lot of people on the surface, but never had he considered murdering anyone...well....no one except the animals from the mountain. Is it really possible that my brother has transcended death?_  
  
Shaking the unnerving thoughts from my mind forcibly, I returned my attention back to the two bedroom choices in front of me. Considering the fact that both bedrooms were basically the same size, I decided to just go ahead with Papyrus' bedroom. Slowly, I reached out to grab the handle of the door. Turning it in one swift movement and pushing into the room, I gasped upon what I had seen. Expecting the usual bright vibrancy of Papyrus' bedroom, I was instead greeted with a bare room with only a twin sized bed in one corner, followed by an oval-shaped fuzzy white rug and a couple of dark wooden end tables at each side of the bed; each holding up a tiny pale green lamp to provide light in this boring room. What caught my attention the most, however, were the twin mirror sliding doors leading to the closet. _This room...I-it's an exact replica of my room in the trailer park! H-how is this possible? Just from touching a doorknob?!_ The more I stood in awe at the plain bedroom, the more amazed I had become of Ink's abilities. He had been the one who summoned an entire house from one Universe and placed it into the Void. Not only that but he saved countless souls, taking them somewhere safe and did what he could to preserve what lingers in our world. Ink...is _so_ powerful. Could he even be...a God?  
  
Moments of dreadful silence ticked away in this empty Void of a bedroom as I examined my new sleeping quarters. Every single piece of furniture were real. I half-expected everything to just be a figment of my imagination. But Ink was telling the truth when he said the room would alter itself for me. I'm just shocked how accurate it became. Even my bedsheets were real. Though, I didn't like the faded lilac bedsheets. My step father had 'bought' them a year ago from a supply store somewhere in town. A few months after sleeping on these obviously used bedsheets had I learned that he actually stole them from a garage sale in the worst part of town. No wonder they smelled rotten.   
  
 _Maybe I should listen to Geno's Echo flower now._ With hesitation, I sat down on the edge of my bed and retrieved his flower from my inventory. It was soothing to know the flower still held its vibrant blue hue. In fact, it was probably the only thing giving the most color in this room. _I'll have to redecorate eventually. It's not like I intend to go back to my ass whole of a step father anyway._ Sighing deeply, I held the flower in my lap before my fingers brushed the center of the blooming bud. Though, only silence answered for my anticipation. I frowned, slowly lifting up the flower to set it on an end table, before I halted in movement the instant Geno's voice spoke to me.  
  
"hey, kiddo. heh.. it's kinda funny, talking to a flower when really I should be talking to you.. but... kid...er frisk, actually... I don't know how you did it but... I wanted to thank you. it's only been a few days and i'm starting to... _hope_ again. it's amazing, really. too many times I've watched my friends...my...brother get slaughtered by your fucking bro.. to think he had a sister who is the _complete_ opposite.. heh.. kid...do me a favor, will ya? don't ever change. hold on to that determination that brought you here. keep being a pacifist a-and.....please...don't forget me."  
  
Cool tears rolled down my heated cheeks, dripping off of my chin and onto my hands as I listened to Geno's voice turn from a gentle comical voice to a strained painful tone of woe. Was he...crying? Did he think he'd never see me again? Is that why...he kissed me? Feeling the heat in my cheeks burn once more, I took in a heavy breath before I kissed the top petal of the flower and sat it carefully on a nearby end table. The Echo flower was truly beautiful and I promised to Geno silently in my heart that I would never forget him. There was a special place in my heart for him and I was determined to see him smile again. That was a promise.  
  
An hour passed, or I assume it was an hour. Hard to tell considering how there is literally no time in the Void. But, what _felt_ like an hour had droned on, making me feel bored as I sorted through my inventory. _What is taking them so long?_ Lingering around the first floor of the building, I had decided to see what possible dinners I could make. Shocking enough, I hadn't expected to find the entire kitchen filled with plenty of food to last a year. All of different variety, as well. Rummaging through a cabinet as I scanned my eyes over multiple boxes of noodles, I paused in place as I heard a jumble of objects crashing and rolling about from the basement, followed by a curse of tongue from Gaster and a snickering laughter from Ink. I couldn't help but to smile at the lively sound coming from the floor. Gaster needed this. A chance at life again. I have no idea how long he has been locked away in this deep abyss, but if I were him, I bet I'd be longing for any speck of change in my life. Being here, in this house, I bet he is struggling to grasp the reality of the situation. Or he's possibly just having issues with grabbing a tool to fix whatever contraption is in the basement. Nonetheless, I felt it best to snatch the box of angel hair spaghetti noodles, a can of tomato spaghetti sauce and a few other ingredients before placing them next to the stove.  
  
Within a few short minutes, I had a pot of water simmering into a boil, telling me to add in a decent proportion of noodles into the pan. Once that ingredient was added, I turned down the heat and stirred the noodles with a wooden spoon before taking a glance at the freshly made garlic bread I had baking in the oven. Once satisfied with the bread, I then check on the meat. I had decided to use hamburger and tossed in some Italian spices to give it added flavor before I fried it in a pan and then added the concoction into the tomato spaghetti sauce. "Looks like I'm not the only artist in the building." Ink's voice tore me from my attention on the food. Looking over to him, I reflected the same grin on my face that he wore as he walked in from the basement. "What's cookin', good lookin'?" He asked with a teasing wink in his step as he peered over my shoulder. I giggled in reply, moving aside so he could have a good look at the sauce I was stirring. "Spaghetti." I answered. "Are you staying for dinner, Ink? There is more than enough." He pondered for a moment, tapping a thin paint brush to his chin before looked back at me with a blue eye light and a yellow star in his eye sockets. "I don't normally eat, but you know what? Sure! I've always seen Papyrus' cooking and I've always wondered what it'd be like. I only hope it's as good as it looks." Another giggle flew from my throat as I turned off the oven and retrieved the garlic bread from its pan. "Could you go get Gaster for dinner, please? I'll set up the dinner table." I asked him, of which he replied with a nod and wink before turning on his heel to return to the basement.  
  
Convincing Gaster to come up for dinner took a bit more motivation than intended. He explained in great detail how his time in the Void had taken away most of his senses. There was no need for him to eat. Though, Ink had retorted back, with a smug grin on his skull, how he too didn't need to eat either. But in the same haughty breath, Ink continued to twist the knife by telling Gaster how 'rude it'd be to deny a lovely girl's cooking'. Another few moments to myself in the kitchen before Gaster came slithering through the basement doorway, grumbling under his breath about something along the lines of ' ~~Snide little shit. The spitting image of Sans and his mischievous ways _still_ haven't faded. Tch.~~' as he planted himself at the table. Ink soon followed behind Gaster, grinning victoriously as he twirled his thin paint brush between his phalanges as if nothing had happened in the basement. I, myself, couldn't help but to giggle at their inner feud. It was truly heartwarming to have Ink stay for dinner with us. Gaster needs a connection into the outside world, and this is as close as he's going to get for some time.  
  
 ~~"I'll be honest, little one. I did not expect you to cook spaghetti for the three of us. Even _more_ surprising, is that I actually have an appetite."~~ Gaster spoke after dabbing his teeth with a napkin. "Is that because you're a skeleton?" I asked, grinning widely as I held in my laughter. My joke obviously annoyed him, considering the instant glare I had received from my goopy friend. ~~"As I was saying.."~~ He cleared his throat before continuing with a small smile pointed at me. ~~"I regret not coming up for dinner sooner. It is a pleasant surprise that you made spaghetti. I...had forgotten the taste... I wonder what else I have forgotten since being locked in this cage?"~~ I reflected a sad smile at Gaster. Far too many things are changing. Not just for me, but for him as well. He may even believe this is all just a dream. But, no matter what, I do hope he savors each moment that has been given to him. My connection with Gaster truly is a miracle. In reply, I placed my hand over Gaster's, being careful not to touch the large gaping hole in the center of his palm. "You're welcome, Gaster." I said with a smile. Scooting out of his chair, I turn my attention to Ink as I noticed him standing up from the table and placing his empty dish into the sink. "Gotta admit, you're a gosh darn good cook, kiddo." He spoke as he rinsed off his plate. "Hehe thank you, Ink. I'm glad you liked it." I, too, grabbed my dirty plate, along with Gaster's, and joined him at the sink. "I'd stay longer for seconds, but my time is running short. If I stay any longer, I'll have difficulty getting out of the Void." Ink replied.  
  
After quickly rinsing off our dishes, I joined Gaster and Ink in the living room. Ink had his giant broom, of which I had learned during dinner that he named 'Broomie' (so cute!), strapped to his back much like how he had earlier. Gaster was standing at a distance from the only exit out of the Void, glaring holes into the door knob. It seems Ink was telling the truth about the handle returning after a while. "Well, I believe I stayed long enough. Thanks again for the meal, Frisk. I hope you'll make dinner again for me someday." Ink winked at me, of which I giggled in reply with a nod. "Of course! Come back any time and I'll have another feast for you two to enjoy." ~~"Where will you be going?"~~ Gaster asked, moving behind me as Ink drew closer to the exit. "I'm going to see a friend. Though, he can be a little bit stuck up when talked to. I'm going to try convincing him to watch Frisk's back if she ends up somewhere dangerous." Ink said. "Wait, you mean you don't know where I'll be going next? I-I could end up somewhere....dangerous? Just how dangerous, exactly?" Now I was starting to get worried. I hadn't even thought of the possibility of jumping into a dangerous universe. I only assumed all universes would be similar, like mine or Geno's. If I'm headed somewhere that I could get hurt, then I'll definitely need someone to be there to help me out. I only wish Gaster would have been able to join me in this quest of mine. Though, considering how difficult it is for him to perform any tasks due to his melted body, it would probably be best for him to stay and deal with whatever is in the basement. But, what of this 'protector' Ink had mentioned?  
  
"Ah! I almost forgot!" Ink snapped his fingers and quickly rushed to stand in front of me. "Give me your phone." He demanded, holding out his gloved hand to me. "U-uh okay. Why?" I asked as I shuffled into my back pocket to retrieve the phone I had gotten from Toriel. Placing it gently in his hand, I watched as Ink literally painting a stream of bright blue paint on the screen with the thin paint brush he was fiddling with during dinner. "H-hey! You're going to mess it up!" I tried to protest, though stopped once I felt Gaster's hand on my shoulder. He shook his head at my shocked expression, ~~"It is obvious by now that Ink's 'paint' is actually a physical manifestation of his magic. He is probably doing something to present an aid for your cellular device, Frisk."~~ Ink chuckled softly before he finished with what ever kind of magic he had placed on the cell phone and then handing it back to me. "What did you do?" I asked, looking at the device carefully. "See for yourself." He nodded in reply. Gulping once, I tapped my finger along the screen and blinked in surprise.  
  
The screen showed a picture of Geno and I, huddled together on his couch, sleeping on the home screen. I blushed softly at the picture. _I had forgotten about this. Did Papyrus take this picture?_ _He must have done it when he snuck his phone number in my contacts._ Smiling silently at our sleeping forms on the screen, I slowly trace my finger along the bottom of the screen and selected the next screen. Blinking in surprise, the first thing I notice is an app labeled 'Find Me'. Tapping once of the app, I waited for it to load as it finally showed what looked to be a radar. It showed a blank black space with a blinking white dot in the center. Above this black box was 'Location: The Void'. The app also seemed to offer detail as to my location, such as which room I currently stood in, as well as who was in the room with me. "You are indicated as the white dot in the center, Frisk. People you trust are blue, while people you should be wary about are red. This thing will let you know if someone dangerous is nearby. I hope you'll make good use of it." Ink explained, twirling his handheld paint brush between his fingers before his slipped it into his back pocket. "But that's not all," He nodded to the phone. "Check out your contacts."  
  
Skipping over to the contacts, I noticed it first asked me which universe I'd like to scope through. It gave me two choices: Aftertale and the Void. Blinking once in confusion, I tap 'Aftertale' and gasp at the list of names given to me. "Toriel. Papyrus...S-Sans? Y-You gave me Geno's number?" I looked up at Ink in pure shock and amazement. He grinned widely as he nodded in approval. "I gave you mine too. It's listed in 'The Void' option. Considering how you don't have any magic to summon me, I figured it was best to give you my phone number. Though, don't rely solely on calling me for help. I won't always answer. Especially if Error is fighting me again.." I tilted my head at his monologue. "Error?" I asked, but never received an answer seeing as how he waved me off. He seemed to ponder silently for a moment before he moved back to the door. He sighed softly as he turned to look at me and Gaster. "Will you be gone for long?" I felt it necessary to ask. After all, he is our friend. Right? It just felt painful to watch a friend leave. Unfortunately, Ink's silence spoke loudly for us before he shrugged. "Maybe. Not sure. There's...much I have to do. Figure out more about Chara. See where the heck your Sans went. Talk with Hunter. Avoid Error. Ugh.. This isn't easy. But.." He turned to face us with a confident smile, "I believing in you both. Thank you for doing this. Helping me out, ya know? I can't let more damage come to these multiverses."  
  
"Frisk," Ink spoke, standing in front of the door, ready to leave. "Keep an eye out for your Sans. You never know. You might meet him. As for your brother... Well, if you see him, don't speak to him. Call for me or someone you trust as soon as possible. Alright? You brother is far too dangerous for you to encounter on your own." I frowned as he spoke. I already knew how bad my brother could be. But if there was any chance of speaking to my brother, then I have all the determination I need to begin this journey. Even more so, if I could find Sans, too. "One more thing," He mentioned. "That recording you found about Human Archieves. Do what you can to find more. That was only one piece to this puzzle and I bet if you find more, it could give us a big step against your brother." ~~"What makes you think she will find more in separate universes?"~~ Gaster asked. That was actually a good question. It was shocking enough that I managed to find that cassette tape. What are the odds of finding it again in another land? "You must remember that both of you belong to the Pacifist route of Undertale. Both of you were torn from that land, from different reasons. And both of you managed to find each other despite being torn apart. Those tapes are a part of your world too. They exist because you exist. And as silly as it may seem, they want to be found and pieced back together." ~~"I see. What you say oddly makes sense. We must converse the balance of nature, correct?"~~ Ink nodded proudly at Gaster's question. "Exactly. The balance has been corrupted and now we must fix what has been destroyed. I'm glad to have you both on my side for this. Anyway, I should go." And with one quick grasp of Broomie at his backside, Ink slashed a space through the door, creating a tear of infinite colors to blend together. I tried to peer through the fine gap in the center of his painted stream. Unfortunately, I couldn't see much except white. "Goodbye, you two. And thanks again for the spaghetti! I've never had it before and I'm glad to have tried it! I can't wait to taste your next meal. Bye!" Ink shouted at us, waving with one hand as he jumped through his colorful portal. And in one split instant, the colorful tear was gone.  
  
Silence returned to the house as Gaster and I both stared at the empty space Ink disappeared through. Already I had missed his presence. But my minor case of sorrow faded once I felt Gaster moving behind me. ~~"You'd best go to sleep, Frisk. We had done nothing but talk for too long. You must be exhausted. Especially since you will be leaving to another universe when you awaken."~~ I knew he was right. I can't waste time. There was too much at stake. Nodding in agreement, I decide to walk up the stairs towards my bedroom as Gaster headed back downstairs. "Good night, Gaster." ~~"Good night, little one. Sweet dreams."~~ He muttered from inside the kitchen. I do hope he will feel better about this quest of ours. But who am I to blame him? Can the three of us truly fix all of this... _crap_ my brother has done? And if we do manage to catch up to my brother, what will happen then? We can't exactly toss him into jail for his crimes. This is far bigger than a simple robbery. Add to that, he's _dead_ , or at least that is what we are lead to believe. Is it really possible to transcend death?  
  
Sighing deeply as I entered my bland bedroom, my eyes linger on the only speck of color in the bedroom for a long moment: Geno's Echo flower. _Geno..._ I missed him dearly. I missed his jokes. How he spoke with Grillby and Papyrus. Even his kiss. _I wonder... Even though I'm in the Void, could I try texting him? I want to know if he is okay._ Worrying about his safety gave me the determination to plop down on the edge of my bed, whip out my cell phone and skim through my contacts. I stared at his name for the longest minute of my life before I clicked it firmly. Though I hesitated as I typed out my message, I was shocked completely to instantly receive a reply the moment I sent my own message.  
  
Me: Geno? Um it's Frisk. Ink gave me your phone number. I was hoping you were alright.  
  
Geno: oh shit. kiddo! you made it. holy shit... I didn't think I could trust that ink guy. but you're fine. oh god. you don't know how happy I am to know you're safe.  
  
My heart fluttered when I read his message. Before I knew it, I ended up lying face down on my bed, kicking my legs into the air behind me lightly as I replied back with Geno.  
  
Me: I'm so glad to hear from you! Did you meet up with Undyne alright? How is Papyrus?  
  
Geno: heh. undyne was down right furious that you slipped away before she got the chance to get to ya, kid. you should thank my bro for stalling for time. speaking of my bro, he's doing alright. we've been worried about you. he wants to know when you'll be back... I told him I dunno. but.. we...miss you.  
  
Me: I miss you too. And don't worry. I promise to never forget you, Geno.  
  
Geno:......h-heh... you listened to my flower, eh?.....shit...now I dunno what to say.   
  
I giggled as I read Geno's reply. _I wonder if he is blushing right now?_  
  
Me: I did listen to it. Thank you for the beautiful gift, Geno. I'll treasure it always. In fact, I have it in my bedroom right now. Right next to my bed. That way every time I wake up, it will be the first thing I see. So I can always remember you.  
  
I frowned lightly as I waited for Geno's reply. He was taking too long. Did I say something wrong? Luckily, after five long minutes, he replied.  
  
Geno: shit, kid. you're gonna give me a heart attack.  
  
Me: You don't have a heart, Geno.  
  
Geno: I know. heh  
  
We spent another half hour texting back and forth together. We traded off silly puns and I explained to him that I was safe when I entered the Void. He was shocked, obviously, that I was in the Void. But I assured him that I'll be okay. But before long, I had to tell him goodnight. We both didn't really want to depart for the night, but we knew tomorrow was going to be busy for both of us. I promised to stay in touch before I turned off my phone and sat it on my night stand, next to his vibrant blue flower. "Goodnight, Geno." I kissed the top petal of the Echo flower once again before I lifted myself from the bed to get dressed into my pajamas. Once prepared to sleep, I finally snuggled into my bedsheets and turned off the small lamp on the side of the bed.   
  
So much had happened. I had met Gaster physically, rather than through my imagination. He and I took the time to decode his odd language. I learned...far too much than I had expected when I met Ink. The universe Gaster and I had been raised in is deteriorating at a steady rate. All because of my brother. On top of that, my brother, who is _dead_ , is lingering from universe to universe, causing chaos by interfering with the balance of nature. How can Ink hold so much faith in us to fix all of this? This isn't really something a couple of skeletons and a human girl can do. We need a God. Or five. Though, I am slightly excited to see other universes, despite Ink's warning of possible danger. What are they like? Aftertale seemed lovely. Although, looking back, I remembered how often I had to run away from Undyne's attacks and even avoid Sans' suspicion. He may be my friend now, but if I hadn't earned his trust back then, would he have hurt me?  
  
 _I shouldn't think so much about this. I like Geno and we are friends now. I have to just hold on to my positivity. I promised Geno I would never let go of who I am. This will be easy!_ Becoming excited and a bit scared of what may lie ahead filled me with determination. Tomorrow, I will be walking into another Universe. It is best for me to get enough rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, quick question! Now that we know Frisk will be going to a new universe, WHERE should she go? I do have an idea as to where she should go first, but I wanna know what you all want. Please, let me know in the comments where you wanna see Frisk go to next!


	9. Sticks and Stones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Struggling to leave the Void after speaking with sad goodbyes, Frisk ends up literally falling into unexpected and familiar lands, but with a drastic twist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are ready for this! It took a while for me to decide where she should go next. I would appreciate feedback!

"What are you working on?" I asked Gaster after I had walked down the steps leading into the basement. My rest took much longer than I had expected. It wasn't until I woke up that I had remembered what I was resting for. In fact, I even came down to the basement to say my farewells to Gaster before leaving to the next universe. Though, I'm glad to have decided to check in on him. He was obviously struggling with a tool as he was crouched, or was he sinking?, underneath the large mechanical device in the room. It was the same device that was once covered with a huge tarp. It seemed he had removed it and began to examine the strange device carefully, considering his odd positioning under the object. He grunted in reply as he attempted to hold his screw driver in his left hand as well as reaching up toward a lever on a side of the device. I quickly walked over to him and snatched the tool from his shaking hand. "Where do you need it?" I asked, holding it closer to the lever by which he was reaching towards. With a small groan, Gaster lifted himself into a sitting position on the floor before he instructed in reply. ~~"The screws are all loose in the metal frame surrounding that lever there. I was going to tighten them, then you came in."~~ I nodded before tightening each screw with the handheld tool.   
  
 ~~"Why did you come down here? I could have handled the maintenance fine..."~~ There was something about the way he spoke that made me giggle. "Are you pouting, Gaster?" I couldn't resist the urge to tease him. Obviously, he was not amused. ~~"I do not pout."~~ He spoke with an obvious pout in his tone of distorted voice. Once again, I laughed. "I came down here to say goodbye." I answered his question as I tightened the last screw. Turning around to place the tool down on a nearby table, Gaster slithered behind me, speaking in a low tone. ~~"You are ready to leave then?"~~ A sense of loneliness made itself known in his voice. The frown on my face echoed the way he spoke. I too felt the sudden realization at how lonely he will be. It was a lingering pain in my chest, reminding me of leaving Gaster by himself for who knows how long. If only Ink could have stayed. Gaster needs connection to the outside. But, considering the circumstances, I literally have no choice but to begin on this crazy journey of mine. "To be honest, no. I'm not ready to go anywhere. It's...not fair. I just _met_ you and already I'm being forced to go away. You deserve to leave this place far more than I do..." We shared a long moment of silence, staring at the large contraption in the center of the room. ~~"Frisk... I know -"~~ "What exactly is this thing you are working on?" I know it is wrong of me to interrupt him. But I already could tell what he was going to say.   
  
It was obvious how Gaster could tell I was avoiding the topic at hand. Though, he probably was relieved I had interrupted him. Moving to examine the machine, Gaster answered my question as he pushed a few buttons. ~~"This machine use to belong to me in the past. It was used to extract Determination from various souls. Though, the years have deteriorated the interior of the mechanism and it looks like Sans had been trying to fix the exterior. He must have been trying to recalibrate its functions. But for what...I do not know."~~ I stepped up to the other side of the machine and looked at it in silent contemplation. The structure of the machine was definitely odd. It resembled that of a face or a skull. But upon closer inspection, you could see a small opening for something, or possibly someone, to be placed inside. Was this thing safe to play with? "Uh Gaster? Are you sure you should be toying around with this thing?" He seemed to be confused at my question for a moment before he examined the device once more and nodded in reply. ~~"I'm not toying with science, dear girl. As I said, this machine belonged to me once before. I know of the risks. If either of us were in any danger from this, what do you call it? Junk? Well, I'm sure Ink wouldn't had summoned it here to begin with if he doubted our safety."~~ He turned towards me and carefully lifted his hand to pat me on my shoulder. " ~~Fret not, my little human. I am actually....happy to have _something_ to do while you are away. Tinkering with these machines will take my mind off of what lingers outside of this Void."~~  
  
Gaster is right. He knows more about these things than I ever could. But what _could_ Sans be wanting to do with such a weird mechanism? He never seemed like the type to be interested in scientific things. _Or...am I wrong? Why...do I feel like something is missing?_ Looking at the large structure once more, I contemplated over Gaster's question. "Maybe...he was trying to look for you? You both know each other, right?" Gaster sighed deeply before he walked over to lean against the wall. ~~"Yes. We know each other. But, he would never look for me. Not even in a time of crisis. No. I believe he was looking for something else that holds a special place in his heart."~~ I tilted my head at my melted friend. If Sans wasn't looking for Gaster, then who? "Papyrus?" I asked. It would probably make sense. After all, Sans doesn't know if Papyrus is safe and sound. Though, Gaster only shook his head slowly before he replied with a thin grin on his skull. ~~"You."~~ He answered with a hint of smug glory in his distorted voice. "M-Me? Why me?" I asked. ~~"He could probably tell that your brother being there wasn't right. Perhaps he was concerned for you. Or, perhaps he thought, much like Ink, that you are exactly what we need to fix this entire mess."~~ "B-but that doesn't make sense, Gaster. How could Sans be looking for me? How did he even know about me? Unless my brother said something to him." I tried gluing the pieces together, but it just didn't fit right in my mind. ~~"...You remember what Ink had said, correct? Your brother disguised himself as you when he fought Sans. Do you know why?"~~ I shook my head, frowning at his words. Yes, I remembered what Ink had informed us but I didn't catch on at the time to that part of detail. There was too much to understand.  
  
Gaster didn't seem thrilled by what I had said. He stared at me with a silent stare. I could almost feel the wheels turning in his skull as he gazed at me from across the room. ~~"Frisk...what do you remember of your past? You told Geno that you and your brother had been experimented on by a monster by the name of Suvia, yes? Do you remember anything else?"~~ What an odd thing of him to ask. I pondered silently over his words. My time with Suvia and Chara was obvious to me. I remembered running from home, falling down to the Underground only to be caught by Suvia. But anything beyond that? "I'm sorry...but no. I don't remember anything else. Why do you ask?" ~~"...Hmm.. A pity. Sans would probably be heartbroken if he heard you say that."~~ I frowned in reply, "W-what?" ~~"This isn't the first time we have met, little one. I have met you before. And not only myself, but Sans and Papyrus as well. Of our world, of course."~~   Looking up at him in shock, I tried to recall these foreign memories. But nothing came. _I've...met them before? But I...W-why can't I remember anything?_ Feeling Gaster's stare harden from his position in the room, I felt the need to turn my attention to the basement floor. Regret overwhelmed me. I should remember something so important. If Sans really is trying to find me, _why_ can't I remember my time with him and his brother?  
  
 ~~"Don't torture yourself on this, little one."~~ Gaster said, appearing next to me with his hand on my shoulder lightly. He was trying to comfort me, but I could tell that the action was unusual even for him. ~~"Your memories will return in due time. For now, you must prepare for the journey ahead."~~ Feeling my frown deepen with a ping to my heart, I grimaced silently to his words. _Gaster is right. I have no time to worry about this. I should be using what little time I have left in getting ready._ "You're right. I'm sorry for feeling so...down. I'll go upstairs and get ready." Gaster nodded, stepping aside for me, as I walked by him to head up the basement stairs. _There is too much going on for me to focus on my past. I just hope I will remember my past before I find Sans and Papyrus again... I...hope they are alright._ Praying silently to myself as I head up to my room, I close the bedroom door behind me and grab my black backpack. Checking inside of its contents, I count how many spider donuts I had in my inventory. Once satisfied with the donuts, I began looking through my closet, wondering about whether or not to change my clothes before leaving. _It probably doesn't really matter._ Though, before I closed my closet doors shut, I turn in surprise after I heard a soft 'Ping!' from my cell phone. Pulling it out of my pocket, I smile brightly at the new message from Geno.  
  
Geno: "hey kiddo. hope I didn't wake ya. just checkin' in to see if you're still kickin'."  
  
I giggled softly as I reread his message twice. _How sweet of him to think of me like this._ What is it about Geno that just brings a smile to my face? I obviously missed him but I didn't want him to worry about me. Especially not when he needs to keep an eye out for my brother. In fact, did Ink ever tell Geno about all that is happening with the multiverses? Taking a seat on the edge of my bed, I decide to text back.  
  
Me: "Good morning, Geno. I'm fine. Thank you for being concerned about me. I hope you and Papyrus are doing well."  
  
It did not take long for him to reply back.  
  
Geno: "'m not _that_ concerned.... eh okay, 'm worried to my bones 'bout chya. but so is my bro. he wanted to know if you were eating alright. heh."  
  
Me: "Hehe. Yes, I'm eating just fine. In fact, you can tell him I made some spaghetti last night. Just be sure to sugar coat it when you tell him, mkay? Say something like his cooking is still better, please? I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings."  
  
Geno: "doubt you'd ever hurt my bro's feelings, kiddo. but i'll tell 'im… so, s'ghetti, huh? missing us that much?"  
  
Me: "Is it that obvious?"  
  
Geno: "yup."  
  
Me: "What about you?"

Geno: "...I checked in on ya, didn't I? heh...but...yeah...miss ya, kid."  
  
I smiled softly at our conversation. What was he doing right now? Knowing him, he was probably lazing about his sentry station near the Ruins. Papyrus has probably nagged him already about how lazy his older brother is. Hehe. Another ping sounded off from my phone, indicating that I had another message. When I looked, I blinked at the two separate messages I had received. One was a continuation from Geno while the other was from Ink. It seemed he too was checking in on me. I decided to finish with my conversation with Geno before I replied to Ink.  
  
Geno: "did you sleep well?"  
  
Me: "Yeah. Did you?"  
  
That's right. Geno is probably still having nightmares. I hope he is going to be alright without me around.  
  
Geno: "heh kinda. guess it was a good idea to kiss you like that before you left."  
  
 _….Never mind. He's perfectly fine without me....perv.._ None the less, I couldn't resist the faint blush breezing across my cheeks as I remembered his parting gift he gave me on my lips. I still didn't know _why_ he kissed me. Looking back, I don't think he even wanted me to go. It pained me to leave that day. I wish I could return to him or even have him with me on this journey. But I know how selfish that would be of me to ask. His brother needs him. His world needs him. Just as my own world needs me.  
  
Me: "Hehe...yeah... Geno? Do me a favor will ya?"  
  
Geno: "'m not really one to make promises, kiddo. you know that. but... what is it?"  
  
Me: "Kiss me when I see you again?"  
  
I couldn't help but to laugh a bit loud after I had sent that message. I could just imagine how he must look while reading that. Blue streaks burning his cheekbones, no doubt. My belief was only proven more correct as it took him a long five minutes before he replied.  
  
Geno: "y-yeah... that's a promise 'm willing to keep."  
  
Me: "Hehe! I'm looking forward to it. But until then, please take care of yourself and the others. Give Papy a big hug for me too, please? I really do miss you guys."  
  
Geno: "'course.  be safe, kiddo. kay?"  
  
Me: "I'll do my best. Until next time. Bye for now."  
  
And with that, I opened Ink's text. I was right in thinking he was checking in on me. He must have known I was awake.  
  
Ink: "Have you left the Void yet?"  
  
Me: "No. Not yet. I just woke up from a long nap. Sorry. I know you wanted me to hurry."  
  
Ink: "It's alright. You needed your rest. But you should start leaving soon. Your exit probably has a new destination set for you. Just be sure to let me know where you end up the moment you arrive, okay? I want to be sure the GPS I installed for your phone is working properly."  
  
Me: "Alright. I'll be leaving shortly. I just need to say goodbye to Gaster."  
  
Ink: "Okay. Be safe, mkay?"  
  
Me: "I will. Thank you for your concern."  
  
After our conversation, I slid my phone in my back pocket and grabbed my black backpack. Slinging it over my shoulder, I stood up and looked at my bare bedroom one more time. Only Geno's Echo Flower presented the room with a gentle blue hue as I closed the door behind me. Walking down the stairs, I find Gaster already waiting for me by the couch. He was still keeping his distance from the door, it seemed. ~~"Are you prepared?"~~ He asked as I stood beside him. With a nod, I replied, "Yeah. Ink left me a message to check in with him when I arrive to the next universe." ~~"I do hope you will be safe... I do not see why he couldn't have come with you on this journey."~~ He said lowly as he gazed to the floor. "He said something about sending me aid, right?" I tried to recall what Ink had mentioned the last we spoke to him. Something about a guide, I think? ~~"He called the man 'Hunter', I believe. How odd, though. I have never heard of a hunter roaming the underground."~~ Gaster slouched on the armrest to the couch. "Maybe he's from another universe?" I mentioned. Gaster nodded in a nonchalant sort of way. ~~"That is most likely. But would a hunter be a sufficient guide for you? Ink said he is the only guardian of the multiverses. It would make sense for he to be the one to guide you. He knows more about each universe you are to be guided through. How do we know if this Hunter has what it takes to guide, or quite possibly to protect, you?"~~  
  
It was obvious how concerned Gaster was for my well being. Far more than Geno or Ink combined. His concern only brought a warm smile to my face as I stepped closer to him to wrap my arms around his slouched frame. He was surprised by my unexpected hug, but eventually returned the gesture by pulling me in with his own fragile hands around my back. I could feel him shaking lightly. Was he scared for me? Did he regret speaking to me through my dreams? "Don't worry. I have faith in Ink. He wouldn't just send me into danger the first chance he got, right?" I tried to reassure my goopy friend. Unfortunately, he didn't seem at ease with my words. ~~"I have yet to determine how much we can trust that painter... He is an enigma to be reckoned with. You noticed his movements, didn't you? He obviously is concerned for the multiverse. But he bares little concern for either of our well being. On top of that, he just put too much weight on both of our shoulders. Telling us of the demise of our own world, along with what ever is going on with your deceased brother. He expects too much from us and yet he remains illusive about his own goals. What will he be doing while you traverse through the unknown? How do we know he isn't an accomplice to your brother?"~~ I had no idea Gaster had put so much thought into our unexpected encounter with Ink. But I can understand his distrust about the painted version of Sans. We only had an hour or so to speak with Ink before he left. Unlike my time with Geno, I barely had a chance to fully understand just _who_ Ink really is.   
  
 ~~"There is something else I had wanted to discuss with you earlier."~~ Gaster spoke, breaking me from my thoughts. "Huh? Uh sure. What is it?" I replied. ~~"After you step out of the Void, I won't be able to communicate with you as I had when you traveled with Geno."~~ Now he had my attention. "W-wait what? Ink didn't give you a cell phone or....or anything?" Gaster shook his head as he spoke, ~~"Even if he wanted me to use one, it'd be near impossible. My body is too...disheveled for me to even grasp a single tool, remember? But that is not the reason why. Ink had told me that I need to retain my focus on the matter at hand. I have my own task, just as you have yours, Frisk. As much as I loathe to admit it, he is right. My desire to communicate with you will only present itself as a distraction. All I can do is hope for your safe return."~~ The way he explained left me worried. Will Gaster have no idea how I will survive this ordeal? I found solace in his voice when I was in Aftertale. But to continue on without him? The thought itself made my heart tighten with a sudden pain. I didn't want to be alone in this. Sensing my sudden fear, Gaster pushed himself from the couch to pull me into a hug. I hadn't even noticed the quickening of my breath until he grabbed me. ~~"Just breathe. Do not give up. You must stay determined, Frisk. You can do this. I have faith in you."~~  
  
Hearing the confident strength in Gaster's words had filled me with renewed vigor and determination. _He is right. I won't necessarily be alone. I have Ink on my phone, if anything turns sour. And surly I will make new friends on this journey. I shouldn't leave this place feeling down and depressed. It will only slow me down._ Nodding my head once, I tighten my grip on Gaster, returning a proper hug before pulling back to leave him with a gentle smile. "Thank you, Gaster. I needed that. I wish you luck." ~~"As do I, my little one. Please be safe. Remember to call Ink if you find trouble."~~ He said in a fatherly tone. _I wonder if he even notices how much of a good parent he can be?_ Once again, I nodded in approval before walking towards the one exit out of the Void. The handle felt cold to my touch. Yet even as I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, I could sense the change lingering outside of the door. I...don't know how to describe it. How does one explain the feeling of energy, or is it magic, beyond a single door? I guess...I wanna say it feels like...music? The feeling one gets when hearing a new song in the air, or of a tune to reminisce. My heart pounded against my chest with anticipation and my hand shook with goosebumps at this eerie feeling. I couldn't make heads or tails if this feeling was safe or not. Stealing a glance back to Gaster, I hoped maybe he could tell me if he felt anything beyond this door. "G..Gaster?" He only stared at the door quietly before he nodded slowly. ~~"I feel it too, Frisk. It is...ominous. I am not sure what to say about this place you are to walk upon...but...I feel a sense of...familiarity in this place."~~ I shared a longing stare with him before he continued, ~~"We are wasting precious time. Frisk, do not worry about this feeling for now. It is best for you to continue. Find a safe place and then tell Ink about this feeling. It could just be something typical for a change in presence of another world.~~ ~~Go on through the door. I do not sense hostilities beyond the door."~~  
  
"Right." His reassurance was all I needed to finally twist the doorknob and pull it open. Darkness was all that greeted me, as I expected. Looking back once more, I flashed my smile to my melting friend before I faced the darkness one more time and stepped through.  
  
Which was a fail on my part. The instant I 'walked' through the darkness, I instantly fell into a heaping horde of boxes. "O-Oww…" Rubbing my hip, which stung like a bee, I manage to sit up after pushing a heavy box off of me. It took me only a split second to notice my clothes had changed the instant I entered this place. No longer was I wearing my usual purple and blue garb. Instead, I wore a deep red and black stripped shirt, which clung to my body tightly. My pants had been changed into a black skirt hanging just above my knees and my feet bore crew-cut length of black stockings, matched with a pair of black leather Mary Janes. I even had piercings in my ears. Little golden hearts shone on my soft earlobes. "W-what the?" I spoke softly as I looked around to catch my bearings. The boxes I fell on were all labeled with various alcoholic beverages and condiments. Mainly of mustard, for some odd reason. Some of the boxes were old while the ones on top were new. And by the smell of it, I had accidentally broke quite a few bottles in some of these boxes. _Oops._  
  
Lifting my gaze from the mountain of destroyed booze, I squint my hazel eyes to the graffiti which peppered the concrete walls. 'Eat sh!t', 'Ur face wuz hur' and various other slur of derogatory verbal abuse littered the walls in colorful spray paint. Some of the lettering was artistic in design while others were rushed and messy. There was even faded blood splatter, or I hope it's just old red paint, in one part of the wall. But what caught my attention the most were the many posters of a male goat monster with a large pointed crown on top of his head. He had long messy dark hair and glared at the viewer with a menacing look to his eyes. The poster read 'Do you wish to hunt the Human filth mercilessly? Then sign up to join the Royal Guard now. Remember. Spare no Human. It is kill or be killed for all Human kind. Signed, Asgore King of Monsters'.   
  
A pit in my stomach churned into burning acid as my eyes scanned over the 'artistic' display in front of me. _M-Maybe some delinquent teens have been spraying graffiti? This...can't possibly be a natural-_ "What the FUCK are you doing back there?!" An intense male voice broke me of my thoughts. Gasping loudly, I scrambled around out of my disaster piece and looked around the cluttered mess of a hallway to find a place to hide. It was obvious how pissed off the impending owner of the voice was. _If I linger any longer, I might get into some serious trouble! Ah!_ There was a restroom between me and the entrance of the hallway. I took the one chance to dash for the restroom door, thankful that it wasn't occupied and ran inside. I made sure to keep the light off before I kept the door an inch open for me to see who was coming from the hallway entrance.  
  
Who arrived completely surprised me. _No...way... Grillby?!_ Except he was a very different look. Instead of the typical look of a constant candlelit flame, Grillby's body burned with a vibrant neon purple hue. His eyes glared with bright white slits as he stomped passed my hiding place. He wore a light grey pinstripe dress shirt underneath a long black trench coat complete with large pearly white fluff of fringe around his collar and a blood red neck tie. If he didn't look ready to flip a table, I'd say he looked dangerously handsome, for a flame monster. _But I can't stay hidden like this. He will definitely find me. Maybe there is a window I can sneak out o-_ "well well. looks like I've got a _doll_ to play with." Speaking with a deep gruff and slightly Brooklyn accent, I turned my head slowly only to gaze upon the skeleton behind me with a shocked expression on my face. "S....Sa..ns?" My voice quivered in a hushed squeak. He raised an eyebrow bone (still unsure of how that is even a thing) as I gazed up at him. This...odd version of Sans was taller than me by a few inches. He wore a red turtleneck underneath an oversized black coat. I could see a small hint of round patches sewn on his shoulder blades of the coat, but the massive white puff enveloping his hood left only a smidge of the patches for me to see. His shorts were also of a dark tone with a large gold line on each leg. The shoes he wore were surprisingly black and white sneakers with thick red socks. I honestly expected an unexpected splash of the typical pink slippers to grace my presence. But what had caught my attention the most was his face.  
  
Sans smiled at me with a true wicked grin. His teeth were as sharp as a laughing shark and shone brightly with a gleaming new golden tooth, as sharp as its neighbors. And his eyes? They definitely were pinpricks, but they had no white nor blushing blue tone I had grown accustomed to from Geno. No, this Sans looked upon me with _red eye lights_. He looked truly...sinister. Like he was going to take a bite out of me at any moment. But then he did something that had unexpectedly softened his vicious vibe. He blushed. He seriously _blushed!_ A gentle red painted his cheekbones as his red eye lights tore from my own eyes. "heh... keep starin' like that 'n you'll fall in love, doll face." Then he looked at me once more, his red crease subsiding slowly. "though, I gotsa know. how do you know my name, doll?"  
  
 _Oh...shit!_ I had completely forgotten what Ink had warned me about! I'm suppose to keep a low profile! Now that I accidentally said his name, he might end up killing me, thinking I'm some kind of spy or something! "U-Uh...." I gulped loudly once more as I scanned the room carefully. Though my fearful movements only made his grin grow with a low chuckle as he spoke, "ah. lookin' fer a way out, eh? not a good idea, doll. yuh already gots grillz ass flarin' in a huff. best not to get burned." He warned with a hint of drool at the corner of his teeth. _Why is he drooling? Wait. Did he just...?_ Feeling my lips perk up into a hesitant smile, I couldn't resist the timid giggle to escape my throat. My little peep of laughter only made his blush return however. Sans flinched and took a step back as he looked at me. "t-tch. what is that laugh fer?!" He sounded angry, but his body replied a different reaction to my giggle. _He's flustered!_    
  
After noticing his body moving away from me, I took the initiative and burst through the restroom exit. "The fuck?! A human, Sans?!" Grillby screeched at the flustered red version of Sans as I dashed passed the fire elemental. I did my best not to look back as I over heard their argument behind me.   
  
"tch. shit..."  
"This is going on your tab."  
"the fuck?! not fair!"  
"Then catch the bitch or else I'm calling your fucking prick of a brother!"  
"pfft. like I give a fuck what the boss could do to the doll."  
"Doll, Sans? Don't tell me you fell for a human?"  
"...."  
"I'm calling your brother."  
"the fuck you ain't!"  
"The fuck I will!"  
"cut my tab in half and i'll snag the do-...girl."  
"No human is worth _your_ tab, Sans."  
"den suffer, dick."  
"Grr... _fine_. But only by a 1/4!"  
"meh. good 'nough fer me."  
  
This is what I get for running into the boy's room. Being chased through the rest of the back hallway of the bar before I ran into the bar itself, I gasp in utter fear as the entire room silenced themselves the moment they saw me. "A human!?" "Someone call Undyne!" "What? No way. Get Papyrus! He'll squash her like a maggot! Kehehe!" "Why leave it up to that guy? Let's just kill 'er ourselves and get a raise from the King!" "Heeeey! That's a great idea!" Next thing I know, all sorts of alcoholic beverages are being thrown at me from every angle. I held my hands over my forehead as I tried dodging out of the fire, but it only seemed to make my predator mad. It seems that whatever was being thrown at me either missed, due to my quick wit, or that someone was aiming for Sans. A barrage of curse words flew from the skeleton before a table ended up being thrown in front of me, causing the large window with the 'Grillby's' neon sign to shatter all over the floor. "By the _fucking stars_ , Sans! Fuck your tab! You're destroying my fucking bar!" Grillby's voice flared from the back entrance of the hallway as he entered into the chaos. "don' look at me. blame yer fuckin' customers, grillz." I heard Sans' gruff voice retort back with a snicker the moment I jumped through the now broken window.  
  
Which was a bad decision to make. The instant I jumped into the snowy landscape of Snowdin, I fell face forward into the mound of snow piles cushioning the shattered glass outside of the building. Having no time to think, my natural instinct took in and I protected my face by blocking my fall with my hands. A quickened chill swam through my fingertips as my blood began to pepper the snow-glass shards combination. "Ha!" A nearby monster's voice lifted me from my attention on my wounded palms. "She's hurt! This'll be too easy! Come on! Let's get her!" One more hushed gasp flew from my whimpering voice as I pull myself up to quickly run towards the entrance of Snowdin. _I-I need to get out of here! I need to call Ink! Ugk!_ Feeling a thump against my back, I turn my head to see a couple of kid monsters throwing snowballs at me. But why did they hurt so much? _Oh. I see. They have rocks hidden in the snowballs....oh man what is WRONG with this place?!_ Though, no matter how much my hands stung from the glass shards in my palms or of how my back kept getting pummeled by rock-imbedded snowballs, I was determined to get to safety. If there _was_ safety, that is.  
  
"H-Huff..." Feeling that burning sting at the back of my throat from running too much, I ended up splitting off from the horde of predators in the village. I was in deed lucky to lose them, but I was still worried. Where was Sans? Did he give up on chasing me? In my haste to find shelter, I ended up skewing off in a different path, leading to a cave. I didn't dare to hide inside the cave, out of fear of who knows what may reside inside. But there were plenty of large bushes for me to hide behind. Taking the time to catch my breath, I scan the area quickly before scrambling for my phone. As expected, Ink had messaged me again and by the look of his message, he was very worried about me.  
  
Ink: Frisk! Where are you?! I can't get a read on your location. Please tell me you got this message!  
  
Ink: Hello? Are you there?  
  
Ink: Oh come on... I can't run to your aid if I can't figure out where you are.   
  
Ink: I know you aren't dead. I'd sense it... I think. But still. Please be safe..  
  
Now that I had the time, for as limited as that may be, I quickly texted him back.  
  
Me: Ink! Oh God. Where the HELL did you send me?!  
  
Thankfully, he replied instantly.  
  
Ink: Frisk! Phew! I'm glad you're safe. But...wait _are_ you safe? Where are you?  
  
Me: I-I don't know. I never got the chance to find out. I fell in the back room of Grillby's storage supply and next thing I know, I'm being chased by the _entire_ village! Everyone wants to kill me!  
  
Ink: …..oh.....oh boy. I think I might know where you are. Quick. Just to confirm my doubts, check your GPS. What is your location?  
  
 _Oh! That's right!_ Tapping my finger across the screen carefully, as not to smear any blood on the device, I selected the GPS app and waited for it to hone in on my location. It took a moment before the location was displayed at the top, along with a detailed description of what to expect in this universe. I felt pale and woozy as I read the inscription. The GPS read: Underfell. _Under....fell?_ _What a strange name for a universe. Though, I guess I can't really judge. I'm from a 'pacifist route of Undertale' apparently. Honestly, how can Ink keep track of such things? But...what is it about this place that is so...destructive and cruel?_ Once more I read the details the app had given me. Apparently, Underfell is somewhat the opposite of what to expect in my own universe. Every single monster is out to kill me, just because I'm a human. There is no such thing as Mercy in their eyes. But what caught my attention was the 'Kill or Be killed' phrase I had read in Grillby's bar. Based on the GPS, that phrase was declared by King Asgore himself. _If I remember correctly, that flower monster I met in Aftertale said the same thing to me. Was it declared by the King there too? Or is that detail really that important?_  
  
Unfortunately, I had barely any chance to contemplate any longer on what I had learned. My phone began to vibrate uncontrollably, popping up a GPS tracking map of my current location. My small white dot was alone for a minute but in one split second, a deep red dot appeared right behind me. I could only guess who it could be. "'ello dare, doll." Without even giving me a chance to speak, or run, I felt a massive blow to the back of my head, causing me to blackout and fall to the snowy trail. I....had been captured.


	10. Fishing in Dangerous Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demanded by Underfell Papyrus, Frisk must complete a task with UF Pap's brother if she is to stay alive longer in their world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I'm super sorry for the long delay. I know many of you have been waiting for an update. Here is a bit of a longer chapter as my apology ^^; I'd appreciate feedback and ideas! Such as what AU should Frisk go to next? Does anyone have an idea they'd like to see or a special monster they want to see? Lemme know!

"Mm...Ohh…" My head was throbbing when I woke up. It was a struggle to lift myself up from-  _Wait. Where am I? On the ground? It's so dirty.._ This room that I was in.. There was no floor, no carpet or tile. It was nothing but dirt.  _And...bars? Wait. Is this a cell?!_ The darkness in the room clouded my vision, but I was able to make out a few details here and there. I was locked into a cell. The room itself, however, was too small to be considered a proper jail. I wondered, could this possibly be a...shed? Glancing all around me, I noticed I was most likely right. The structure of the small building was held up with wooden planks. A single, thin window gave only a smidge of light for the room. But it reflected enough for me to see how difficult it would be for me to try squeezing through the bars, if I attempted to leave the cell. However, I doubt it'd be wise to even try. Not only were these bars too thick, but they also had spikes protruding from the bars.  _Yeah...no way am I trying that._ My vision returned to the single window which hung above me. It was probably a couple of feet higher than myself; and considering how short I am... "I'm...gonna need a chair.." I mumbled quietly.   
  
"want mine?" I gasped at the voice. Looking all around me, I couldn't find the source. Until I noticed the smell of smoke and a lit cigar coming from the other side of the bars in the far corner of the room. Squinting my eyes until they adjusted to the darkness, I finally realized who else was in the room with me. "S...Sans?" He shrugged at my question but confirmed my doubt as he stood from the chair to stalk towards me; finally standing still in the lone beam of light of the room. He smirked at me as he stood with his hands in his pockets and his shark-like grin bit down on his cigar.  _Since when did Sans take up smoking? Does his brother know about this?_ "still don't know how you know 'bout me, doll. you some kinda sweet li'l stalker of mine?" He asked, with his grin growing by an inch and with a drizzle of drool adding to the sick nature of his words. I gulped lightly as I pushed myself away from the bars, only to feel my feet tug in restriction. Looking down, my left foot had a thick iron chain and heavy ball holding me in my position. "W-what?" I grasped the chain, only to let it fall restlessly to the dirt. "heh heh. cat got chur tongue, doll?" I glanced back up to meat Sans' red pinpricks. He was chuckling deeply as he snuffed out his cigar into the dirt with his shoe. "yer my prisoner, doll~." He spoke with a low drall of his voice. Almost as if he was... _purring?_   
  
Ignoring his teasing, I tried to compose myself once more before I got the nerve to ask, "W-where....am I?" "prison." He answered. "No. I mean-" He chuckled more as he leaned against the bars, breaking my words as he replied. "yer in the boss' prison. but, any wise ass can tell it's just a fuckin' shed." Keeping my distance, as best as I could, I raised an eye brow at what he said. _A boss? Does he mean the King? But he said this is a shed. Not a castle's jail._ Unfortunately, I never got a chance to ask him what he meant. Because the next thing I know, he started asking  _me_ questions. "so. care tellin' me where you came from, doll?" I answered, "The...surface..?" He nodded, seemingly taking that answer as the truth. "nice lie. what kinda gimmicks ya humans got that has a GPS for multiverses, eh?" My eyes grew wide at his question.  _How..does he know about the multiple universes? Maybe he isn't so different from Geno after all._ Watching this...red version of the Sans I knew taunt me with his sinister grin only sent chills down my spine.   
  
Tearing my gaze from his, I did my best to avoid his question. Since my hands were free, I tried to reach around for my cell phone but grew pale as I realized the worse. My phone was gone. "lookin' fer this, doll?" The red Sans held my cell phone in his left hand. Gulping once, I reached out through the bars for the phone; only for him to swipe it back into his pocket. "ah ah, doll. you want it, yer gonna have to give somethin' in return~." He demanded while licking his sharp teeth with a bright red glow of an ecto tongue. Even his drool was presenting a constant roaring neon red hue to its dribble. I shivered in my cell and stole my hand back to my side as I returned his snarky laughter with a disgusted tone to my voice. _Before I was captured, my phone said I was somewhere in a place called Underfell. But what's an Underfell?_ The moment I arrived to this place, I instantly had monsters try killing me by throwing rocks and alcoholic beverages at me. Is that normal in this land? "heh heh~. wha's the matter, doll? I promise not to bite ya  _too_ hard. all I wan's a li'l nibble~."  _W-what? I-Is he being serious right now?_ I tried to see if he was showing any kind of falter to his perverted words. But based on the growing red crease on his cheekbones, I could only assume how truthful his words were. He might  _really_ want to eat me alive!   
  
"aww, come on, doll. don' gimmie such a pouty look. yer breakin' mah heart." He frowned only lightly but his eyes shone with mockery in his accent. Where did he even get such an accent? Is that also expected for each Sans? I, however, was not amused by this playfully erotic way of someone I thought I could trust.  _Well, at least Geno is nicer than this guy. I don't know whether to believe this red version of Sans is making fun of me or not._ But then I wondered about something. Geno likes jokes and puns. What about this Sans? I contemplated over the way he acts. He's....crude, to say the least. From what I remember in the bar, he doesn't care about much, unless it is beneficial to himself. Then, there is his teasing mannerisms. Looking at that wicked smile of his, anyone could tell how much he enjoys someone else's torment. And considering how I am hated in this world by all monster kind, and shoved into a 'prison' cell, it is safe to say that this red Sans is having too much fun. Everything about this place is terrible. _I...wonder... This is a gamble, but I have to try to earn his trust. Or to at least get him away from my cage._ Gulping loudly, I present my attempt at humor. "D-...Did...uh.." Sans raised an eyebrow (bone) curiously as I tried to find my words. "D-Did you ever...hear about t-the two bald guys who uh...put...their heads together?" He blinked once as I continued with a weak chuckle, "T-they uh...made an um...a-ass....out of themselves....h-heh..."   
  
"uh....h...heh.." I tilted my head at the sight before me. This red Sans. He's sweating! Is he scared or something? "I-I'm sorry!" I apologized as I scooted a little closer to the bars. "I-I didn't mean t-." "pffft hahahahahahahah!" He literally fell on his ass to chuckle in roaring laughter. Once more, I sat confused in my cell. "Y-You thought that was funny?" I asked. "pfft! fuck no! but that stutter was fucking glorious! hahahaha!" My pout sank into a disappointed frown.  _I should really work on my jokes..._ Before I knew it, Sans, or should I call him 'Red'?, scooted closer to the bars and waved me over. "lemme show ya how it's done, doll." He waited patiently for me to consider my options. Though reluctant, I eventually did as he commanded, and sat on the opposite side of the bars, mirroring his sitting position on the dirt. With a smirk of approval, he reflected a more...intermediate joke. "so, I was sittin' at the bar the other day an' these two fat bitches came in, talkin' in an interestin' accent. so, I ask 'em, 'you two from ireland'? one of 'em snarls at me, 'it's wales, dumbo!' so, I corrected myself: 'ah 'm sorry. you two  _whales_ from Ireland?' pfft hahahaha!"   
  
For an hour, we shared these...very off putting jokes with each other. But no matter how insulting the jokes were, I realized I had gotten Red to be more open with me. I was right in thinking he'd enjoy a joke. I don't know why he looked so nervous about it though.  _Wait what is that?_ At some point in the middle of our little joke fest, my cell phone had fallen out of Red's pocket. Keeping him in my sights, I tried sliding my right foot out of the bars in order to catch the device. Unfortunately, he beat me to it once again. He held my ankle with a harsh grip before pushing my foot back into my cell. "naughty girl. heh you really want it, eh? 'lright fine. i'll give it back." I blinked and looked up at him, astonished. "R-really?!" "oh yeah. definitely. on one condition." My frown returned instantly as I dreaded to ask, "W...what?" "tell me who the fuck this 'ink' guy is? he keeps messagin' ya. had to turn the fuckin' thing off just to make the fuckin' nag to shut up."   
  
_INK! Oh God! He must be so worried!_ "Sans, please. Return my cell phone. I need to let him know I'm safe!" I pleaded. He looked at me with flared red pinpricks. "heh...so...he  _is_ yer fuckin' boyfriend, eh?" "W-what? No! He's my-" "SANS! YOU FUCKING WASTE OF AIR! WHERE ARE YOU?!" …... _Oh....my God...That voice. Is that...n-no it can't be!_ Busting the single door, of which I couldn't see from the darkness in the room, down into the dirt, Red and I stare up at the owner of the booming voice with equal fear on both of our faces. Standing in the doorway was Papyrus. Or at least, I think that is Papyrus. Just like with the rest of this world, he too bore the 'don't piss me off' vibe. Although, from the way his eye brows (bone??) knit together above his eye sockets, I could tell that he was  _already_ pissed off. "y-yo, boss..." Red muttered weakly, pushing himself quickly away from my cage. Though it seemed this pissed off version of Papyrus noticed his older brother's movements. "UGH. WERE YOU FRATENIZING WITH THE PRISONER, SANS? YOU HAVE TRULY HIT THE LOWEST OF THE LOW." He commented as he stood in front of my cage, his arms crossed over his chest in a proud manner. Everything about him just screamed 'fear me' and 'obey me'.   
  
Papyrus, from what I could tell, stood taller than the one I met in Aftertale. Just as his brother, Papyrus also wore the black and red tones like a badge of honor. His battle bot was freshly polished black on his torso, rising up to his shoulder blades in spiked needle-like arches. His black pants were skin tight, er better yet 'bone tight', with a noticeable red belt hugging at his hips. The red he shared with his brother clung to his gloves, which rose to his elbows like claws, his red, slightly torn, cape and his boots.  _I'm honestly shocked. The boots are the only thing that are **not** pointed or spikey._ What made my heart quiver, however, was his face. He spoke with an eternal snarl to his fangs. Yes, fangs. The gentle and friendly Papyrus that I once knew was replaced with a literal  _shark_ .  _And here I was, thinking that Red was the only one with a sinister bite to his teeth... Oh boy, Ink. Where did you send me to? Hell?!_ A low grumble from the seething Papyrus caused me to look up at him quietly. His sunken eye sockets glared into my frightened orbs. Just like his brother, he also held no white pin-pricks. They, instead, were replaced with thin red hatred. The longer we stared at each other, the more I realized something quite shocking about his face. There was a few very noticeable cracks broken through his skull from his right eye socket and reaching just above his eye brow(bone). I couldn't help but to wonder. How did he get that scar? Did it hurt then? Did it still hurt now? Yes, it added to his frightening demeanor of himself. But still... "Y...You're hurt." I spoke meekly.   
  
Raising an eye brow(bone) at my fragile words, Papyrus, or should I refer to him as 'Edge' because of his edgy silhouette?, growled before speaking, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? A TRICK? I'M NOT GOING TO FALL FOR YOUR FAKE COMPASSION, HUMAN." Fake? Why does he think I'm pretending to care for his well being? Unfortunately, I had no time to state my opinion on the matter. "TELL ME YOUR NAME, GIRL. NOW." I gulped as I nodded lightly, "F...Frisk.." Another low grumble came from the taller skeleton before he spoke once more, "WEIRD NAME FOR A HUMAN FEMALE.... SANS!" "woah! aw shit! y-yeah boss?" Red's voice spoke from the dark corner of the room, along with a crash of his chair. He must have been startled out of his chair.  _Wait, did he call his little brother 'boss'? Why?_   
  
"WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE HUMAN?"   
  
"she uh...claims to be from the surface, boss."   
  
"OF COURSE SHE'S FROM THE SURFACE, YOU DOLT! TELL ME SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW!"   
  
"uh well...she's my height with a nice ass and attitude. ah and she's got one hell of a sense of humor."   
  
"UGGGH! I DIDN'T HAVE YOU CAPTURE HER TO MATE WITH HER, YOU DUMB FUCK!"   
  
"well, you asked, boss."   
  
"I ASKED FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON WHY SHE IS HERE! NOT SOME STUPID CONNECTION YOU TWO SHARE! FUCK IT. I'LL ASK HER MYSELF. UNLIKE  _SOMEONE_ , I ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO DO MY JOB RIGHT."   
  
Reaching in between the bars quickly, Edge grabbed me from my shirt collar to lift me up on my feet. "I AM THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS. SECOND IN COMMAND OF THE ROYAL GUARD. BY LAW, I AM TO TAKE YOU TO THE HEAD GUARD, UNDYNE. FROM THERE, YOU ARE TO BE TRANSFERED TO OUR GREAT AND POWERFUL KING, ASGORE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN THEN, HUMAN?" I gulped loudly as I feared the worse, "I-I'll...die?" With a nod and tiny up turn to his fangs, Edge replied, "VERY OBSERVANT. YES. YOU, LIKE EVERY OTHER HUMAN THAT HAD FALLEN DOWN HERE, IS TO DIE BY THE HANDS OF OUR KING." Surprisingly, Red spoke up from behind his younger brother, "aw com' on, bro. can't we keep this one? she's fuckin' cute! jus' look at that fuckin' adorable look of fear in her ey- agh! the fuck was that fer?!" Red shouted back at his brother, who had smacked him in the back of the head. "I AM YOUR BETTER! I NEVER WANT TO HEAR YOU REFER TO ME AS YOUR FUCKING BROTHER EVER AGAIN! I AM YOUR LEADER. YOUR BOSS! AND YOU WILL REMEMBER  NOT TO BEG TO  _ME_ TO SPARE A FUCKING HUMAN JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT ANOTHER FUCKING PET, SANS!" Edge roared back at his sweating brother. "a-aw come on. it was a slip of the tongue! w-we could use her! i'll take good care of her. promise!" Red pleaded once more. "WE ALREADY HAVE A FUCKING CAT, SANS! A FELINE, BY WHICH  _YOU_ CONTINUOUSLY  _FAIL_ AT TAKING CARE OF! NOW SHUT UP SO I CAN CONFER WITH OUR CAPTIVE!"   
  
I watched silently at the scene before me. It was obvious how cruel this Papyrus was compared to his brother. But was the slap to the head really necessary? And doesn't it hurt Sans' feeling to be treated like this? He's the older one, isn't he? Feeling Edge's stare linger on my face, I frowned in reply to the silence in the room before I finally spoke up. "W-why do you speak to him like that?" "SPEAK TO WHO LIKE WHAT?" Edge replied. "You know exactly who. Your brother, Sans. You say such mean things to him. And did you really have to hit him?" With a roll of his red pin pricks, he groaned before replying, "TCH. I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HUMAN EMOTIONS. YES, HE'S MY BROTHER. BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG. SANS IS WEAK. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WEAK! HE SHOULD BE HONORED TO HAVE ME AS HIS SUPERIOR!" He seemed to completely ignore the fact that he slapped his brother. Why does he think so highly of himself? The bond Sans and Papyrus share should be a strong family bond. I was even slightly jealous of the love they shared back in Aftertale. But this? This just...ticked me off. "That doesn't give you the right to hurt him!" Both boys stared at me in shock before Edge grabbed me again through the bars, crushing my forehead into the thick iron bars with physical rage. "YOU DARE ORDER  _ME?!_ YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME! YOU SHOULD FEAR ME AND BEG FOR MY FORGIVENESS FOR EVEN ATTEMPTING TO DEMAND SUCH FILTH!" His words only made the determination within harden more as I returned his glare with one of my own; ignoring the pain rushing through my skull. "I don't care who you are! You're brothers! I don't get along with my family either but not once have I ever raised a hand to my own brother! Hitting the weak doesn't make you strong!"   
  
For a single moment, I feared he would kill me; right then and there. But, quite surprisingly, he didn't. He did the opposite, in fact. Edge laughed and released me. Dropping me to the dirt. "YOU'VE GOT GUTS TO STAND UP TO THE LIKES OF ME, HUMAN. I ADMIRE THAT. HMM...SANS!" Red slowly walked back into the light so we all could see him. "...yeah, boss?" "YOU ARE TO TAKE THE PRISONER TO UNDYNE'S." My determination faltered lightly at his words. Despite the little spark of admiration I earned from the taller skeleton, he  _still_ wanted to send me off to my death?! ".....fine.." Red replied, with his hands in his pockets and look of remorse directed at me. "AS FOR YOU, HUMAN. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE CHALLENGE." Edge ordered with his arms crossed over his chest once more. "I beg your pardon?" I asked, confused. Didn't he just warrant my impending death? Is this some kind of game to him now? "I  _SAID_ , I'M GIVING YOU A CHALLENGE, HUMAN! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?! UGH! WHY MUST I REPEAT MYSELF FOR SUCH INFERIOR SPECIES?!" "Okay okay! I get it! Yeesh.. What is this challenge, oh 'great and powerful' stick in the mud?" I couldn't help but to snipe back at him. But it seemed to make Red happy. I could hear him snickering behind his taller brother. Edge, on the other hand, seemed to ignore his brother completely as he replied with a smug smirk on his face, "YOU, HUMAN GIRL, ARE TO SNEAK INSIDE OF THAT FISHY BITCH'S HOME AND RETRIEVE MY LITTLE BLACK BOX. UNHARMED, MIND YOU!" I tilted my head at his commanding voice as I repeated, "Black....box?" Edge nodded, "GOOD. YOU'RE LISTENING. NOW, YOU ARE TO BRING THE BOX TO ME TONIGHT. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" His eye sockets slanted as I nervously nodded in understanding. "IF YOU DON'T AGREE TO TAKING ON THIS CHALLENGE, SANS IS FREE TO HAND YOU OVER TO UNDYNE AND THUS, TO YOUR UNTIMELY DEATH."   
  
A long depressing sigh escaped my mouth as I nodded in defeat. "Like I have a choice on the matter..." I replied with a groan, returning my gaze to the ball and chain that was wrapped around my left ankle. Edge retorted with a low chuckle, "OF COURSE NOT. NOW..." He unlocked the door to my cell and released my leg of the chain before pushing me over to Red, who stopped me from crashing into him by holding me up from my shoulders. "YOUR MISSION BEGINS NOW!"   
  
After being set free from the cage and the shed, I had been strolling behind Red through the snowy fields of Snowdin. Apparently, and this is  _quite_ the surprise, Edge is the designated 'ruler' of Snowdin. Which explains why no other monsters nearby are trying to kill me again as I walk with Red. Based on what Red had told me, his 'boss' had informed the residents of Snowdin to refrain from attacking me. He also told Red to counter their attacks if it'd happen, but Edge thought against it; claiming that his brother is too lazy and weak to 'defend a useless human'.  _I just can't wrap my head around this place. It's the **complete** opposite of what I encountered in Aftertale…. I...hope Geno and everyone is okay. I can never see Papyrus as a cruel ruthless being. Is it even possible to try to gain his friendship? Red, on the other hand..._ I returned my gaze from the snowy ground to Red's back as he lead the way in front of me. Since the brothers had set me free of the shed, Red had been entirely silent as we crossed the border into Waterfall.   
  
_Why are we walking? He's a Sans too. Can't he teleport like Geno?_ Although, considering how backwards this place is, perhaps he couldn't teleport? "why the fuck did you do that?" I blinked, ultimately confused as I looked at Red's back. He stopped to turn to look at me, with a fresh cigar in between his sharp teeth. "Why did I do what?" I asked, hoping for a more detailed answer. Red grumbled lowly before he spat a reply with a snarl, "fucking defend me like that.  _no one_ stands up for me. no one fucking likes me. got it, brat?" Despite how rude his choice of words were, I could see the faint red tint run across his cheekbones as he looked at me. Was he...impressed by what I've done? Smiling softly with a gentle chuckle, I simply shrugged in reply, "I don't like violence. Besides, he's your brother. How can he treat you with such...cruelty?" Smirking at my little speech, Red rolled his unlit cigar from one corner of his teeth, to the other corner as he spoke, "you fell from the heavens without even knowing about the hell in this place? heh. pick up a hist'ry book once in a while, doll." A sigh released itself from my throat as we returned our journey through Waterfall.   
  
"I suppose you're right. There is so much I hadn't expected when I found myself here... Is it natural for everyone to want to kill humans?" I asked.    
  
"'course, doll. humans know about the fuckin' war up there too, right?"   
  
"Well, yeah... But, the monsters here didn't even give me a chance to speak out or...or to try befriending them."   
  
"the fuck? is this some kinda joke, doll? you want a monster as a friend? ha! that'll never happen."   
  
"Well, what about you? You seem...nice."   
  
"you hesitated, doll."   
  
"N-no I didn't! I just......ugh okay. So I'm not sure if I can fully trust you yet. After all, you  _did_ kidnap me and stick me in a cage."   
  
"boss's orders."   
  
"I don't care! I never hurt anyone. Why should I be thrown into prison just for being a human?"   
  
"...eh don' let it bother ya, doll. boss is givin' ya a chance, remember? the hard part is dealin' with that scaly bitch undyne."   
  
Gulping loudly, I turn my gaze to my feet as we crossed a flower-made bridge.  _He's right. I should concentrate on the task at hand. If my encounter with Undyne in Aftertale was difficult, it's going to be **far** worse in this world! She is probably going to be faster and stronger....I...I can't do this by myself.._ "'ey, ya listenin', doll?" Red strolled up beside me, nudging my shoulder with his own. I hadn't even noticed him come to my side. "U-uh sorry. What did you say?" I looked at him, sweating from embarrassment. The red eye lights within his eye sockets rolled in a circle before he stepped closer to me. "don' tell me yur thinkin' 'bout yur boyfriend again?"  _Boyfriend? Oh. I get it. He's talking about Ink again._ _I wonder.._ "Are you...jealous of Ink?" I asked. Confirming my curiosity, Red's skull turned a deep shade of red before he turned away with his arms crossed over his chest. "tch! the fuck makes you think that?!" He replied with an obvious grunt. "Oh I don't know. You keep asking me about him  _and_ you're blushing with embarrassment." I shrugged, grinning. A low growl came in response from him as he turned to glare at me again. But my smile didn't waver. "Why do you want to know about him anyway?" I asked. "why do  _you_ keep avoidin' the obvious, doll?" He bit back with a snarl.   
  
Though, it didn't take long for his snarl to turn into a taunting smirk. My silence spoke volumes as I turned my gaze to the waterfalls up ahead; ignoring his smug grin. "ha! knew it! yer just like all the other humans. fuckin' cowards."  _No. He's wrong. I'm not like other humans._ Memories of my childhood shared with Chara flashed in my mind. Together, we were always complete opposites. He basked in the idea of torture. It was his playtime, as it were. But for me, I could never bring myself to harm anything. Not a defenseless animal, nor a single fly. But it wasn't fear that caused me to decide against these harsh actions our father commanded of us. It was remorse; empathy for these creatures. I believed in my heart that it was never my right to chose who is to live or die. I'm no God, and neither are my family members. Yet, Red thought I was afraid to talk about my connection to Ink? No. I was determined to prove him wrong.   
  
"How about a wager?" I offered, causing him to stop in his tracks to look at me. Doubt was apparent in his bone structure as he replied, "the fuck, doll?" I stepped up to him before confirming, "You heard me. I want to make a wager with you." "heh. don' think the boss will really be up to makin' wagers with a human, doll." He lit his cigar after speaking. "I never said I was going to make a wager with him. I want to make a wager with  _you._ " I replied with a gentle smile. Red stared at me for a long moment, breathing in the toxins of his cigar before releasing the vapors through the nasal cavity of his skull with a purr in his throat.  _Wait. Did he seriously just purr?_ "aight. i'll play yer cute lil game, doll. what's this wager?" My smile grew as I felt my heart speed with excitement. This version of Sans might actually become a good friend of mine, if I play my cards right. "I'll tell you how I know Ink if  _you_ set up a distraction for Undyne." With an eye brow ( _bone_ ) raised, he spoke up, "uh uh. ain't no fuckin' way. I ain't bargin' into her fuckin' place! try somethin' else, doll." I shook my head as I took the initiative to mock him, "Aw what's the matter? Too scared of a big bad fishy lady?" In response to my small taunt, Red's eye lights shrank as he glared at me, "I ain't gonna get fuckin' dusted by that fuckin' bitch, got it? try  _the fuck_ again, doll." Rolling my eyes at his threatening voice, I replied, "You're a big bad monster, too, aren't you? Use your magic or something." "no is no, doll. my bony ass ain't worth gettin' dusted just to hear you brag about chur fuckin' paint ball of a boyfriend." He barked back. "I have faith in you." I spoke, silently hoping he'd finally give in. And judging by the sudden silence and obvious growth of red tones brushing his cheekbones, I can safely assume that my words had some effect on him.    
  
"f-fine.. but! let's make this game of yours a little... _sweeter_ ." He added with another purr to his words. I gulped loudly before I regretted asking, "What do you...mean?" A low chuckle sounded off from his throat as he spoke, "if you can get through this whole bullshit with undyne  _without a fuckin' scratch_ , i'll give you yer dumb phone back." I blinked, shocked at this option. It was too easy! All I'd have to do is keep my distance from her. And it'd be a piece of cake if Red can distract her. Unfortunately, my excitement soon washed away as Red started laughing loudly. I looked up at him with a pout on my face. "W-what is so fun-" I gasped loudly as he unexpectedly pushed me to the glistening stone speckled wall. Drool slithered from the corner of his teeth as a menacing chuckle echoed in the cavern from his voice. "heh heh. you haven't even heard the best part, doll. ya see, if you get  _one_ hit to yer hp, heh....then yer mine." I felt a deep shiver rush down my spine as he stroked his long sharp phalange across my cheek gently. "my pretty little pet. heh heh~. you'll be mine, got it? f'rever."   
  
_How do I keep putting myself in these situations? And what is it with skeletons wanting to own me?!_ Sighing deeply to my thoughts as Red and I finally made our way to Undyne's, I felt reluctant about my little wager with Red. But, if he kept his end of the deal, I might be able to avoid being his pet.  _One thing is for certain. I definitely need my cell phone back. Ink must be worried sick about me. Geno, too. I wish I could get in contact with Gaster. I hope he's alright.._ "ey, pet. snap outa it." Red's voice barked in front of me, causing me to groan under my breath. "I'm not your pet..." I mutter as I followed behind his slow footsteps. He chuckled in reply, "not  _yet_ , anyway." Then, with a shrug, he nodded his skull, pointing ahead. "we're here." Stepping aside to catch a look at our destination, I frown at the building in front of us. Undyne's home was literally a fish. Or, I hope, it wasn't a real fish. Back in Aftertale when I worked at Grillby's bar, the monsters there had informed me a bit about Papyrus' friend and lead in the Royal Guard: Undyne. Apparently, Undyne's home is located deep in the Waterfall region of the Underground. As typical of a fish-lady, her home itself is designed to resemble that of a fish. But  _this_ building in front of me and Red was more of a sinister fish. Even the eye - windows had an evil glare to them; Just as the front door had a sharp edge to the design.  _Nothing about this place says 'welcome home' to me._   
  
"so, doll, what's yer plan?" Red asked as he picked at his teeth with his pinky. I glanced around the area to find a good solution to this plot of ours. "If you could distract her from the kitchen, I could sneak in from the back." I spoke, full of determination. I wanted this mission to be over and done with. If this Undyne is as scary as the Aftertale version, then I don't want to linger for more than necessary.  _Let's just hope Red will actually help me in distracting her.._ "heh. too easy, in my opinion. but, whatever. this fuckin' thing is your job. might as well have as much fun that I can get with fish face." Rolling my eyes at his snarky reply, I began sneaking around the corner of the building, watching Red from a safe distance. Making sure I would be well hidden, I crouched down behind a bush that stood on the corner of the building. Despite how fast I ran into hiding, Red, on the other hand, took his sweet ass time to make his way to the entrance of Undyne's home.  _Ughh he's doing this on purpose, isn't he? Come on, you red pervert. Get on with it!_ With slow movements, I watched Red ring the doorbell, with a bored expression on his face. "The fuck is coming to my place right now? Better not be another fucking kid asking to be my apprentice. Fucking brats!" Undeniably Undyne's loud and scratchy voice echoed from the back of the house, heading toward to the front. She had most likely been in the kitchen. Which means I have a little bit of time.   
  
Quickly taking my chance, I scurried into the back of the house the moment I heard the front door open. To my luck, her back door entrance was unlocked. There was even a window open, allowing a gentle breeze of dark smoke to waft in the air from the opened window. The smell that hit my nostrils the instant I peeked in from the back door reeked. It seemed Undyne had been in the middle of cooking.  _Or burning, in this case. What is that smell? Is she burning...pinecones?_ Shaking my head from the absurdity of the possibility, I returned my attention to the room around me.  _Okay, Frisk. That edgy version of Papyrus wanted you to find a little black box somewhere in this place. But where?_ Thankfully, Undyne's kitchen resembled any normal kitchen. Except for the burning concoction from the oven. I didn't even dare to peek inside there.  _Pretty sure Edge's box isn't inside a burning oven._ Time ticked away as I searched through various cabinets, drawers and even the pantry. But once I had finished peeking through the fridge, I heard a tapping sound from the window. Glancing to the window, I saw Red leaning against the house, tapping his wrist with a smirk to his teeth.  _I'm running out of time.._ I nodded to him, letting him know that I got his warning just as I heard Undyne coming close from the living room. Gasping lightly, I quickly hide underneath the table as I look back to the window, pleading in silence to my skeletal helper.  _Please, Red! Get her away from here!_   
  
Luckily, Red had already ran back to the front door once more, ringing the doorbell before hiding in plain sight. He is definitely enjoying my torment. "Who the fuck... ugh!" Undyne's voice almost approached the kitchen, but once she heard the doorbell, she ran to the front door. Taking this chance, I crawled out from under the table and scanned my eyes over the kitchen once more. I had found nothing in this room. There was no choice but to try somewhere else.  _But Red and I can't keep playing cat and mouse with Undyne like this. I can already hear the frustration in Undyne's footsteps._ Glancing toward the entrance to the kitchen, I noticed a set of steps leading to the second story. Her home is definitely tall, like the skeleton brothers'. Her bedroom must be upstairs. I returned my gaze to the window, seeing Red watching me with another bored expression. In hopes to get him to understand, I used my left hand to put a finger to my lips in a manner of telling him to be quiet about my location; while my right pointed above my head, indicating that I was heading upstairs. He blinked once before nodding with a shrug.    
  
Getting upstairs was quite the challenge. Because the moment I stepped out of the kitchen, I had a sharp red spear blazing right in front of me, piercing the wall instantly. "A human?! Invading  _my_ home?! Tch, are you the bitch that keeps ringing my fucking doorbell?!" Undyne spat at me as she summoned two more red spears in each hand. "I-I.." I gulped hesitantly. My eyes darted in every angle, looking for any source of safety, or protection. She stomped closer to me, dragging the tips of each spear into the carpet of her living room floor. It didn't seem to faze her that she was destroying the carpet as she stalked closer to me. I, on the other hand, slunk my body to the damaged wall, inching my way to the stairs as best as I could. "I'll fucking teach you for intruding into my house, you human scum! Ugh!" Her words rose before she got interrupted by a picture frame of what looked to be a pissed off Alphys into the back of Undyne's head. She spun around with a snarl to see Red snickering from the living room window. "YOU! By the fucking stars, Sans! I'm going to fucking kill you!" Undyne roared as she threw a red spear at the window, shattering it in the process. Unfortunately for her, she missed Red completely; seeing as how we could still hear his taunting laughter from the broken window. As for me, I took the chance to run up the stairs the instant Undyne had turned her back to attack Red.   
  
_Thank God he actually pulled through on his end of the deal!_ For once, I was actually grateful to have that pervert along.  _Now, to find that black box._ Having no choice, I ended up peeking into the first room in the hall. Empty blackness greeted me as I stepped into the room. Considering how quiet my footsteps were as I entered, I assumed I was in a bedroom. No bathroom would have carpeting.  _Where the heck is the light switch?_ I hesitated in the room as I roamed about the walls in the darkness with my arms stretched out in front of me. From below, I could hear crashing and banging sounds followed by obvious cursing from Undyne.  _I better hurry before she recognizes me missi- ow!_ Apparently, as I had been searching through the dark room, I ended up jamming my knee into the dresser. "O-oww…" I groaned with a forced hushed voice. Massaging the wounded spot on my leg, I took a moment to catch my breath before I  placed my hand upon the top of the dresser. I felt many things up there; a few pointed earrings, a picture, I think, and a jewelry box. Then, as if my luck was finally turning for the better, I had found it! A lamp on her dresser! Flicking the switch on the lamp, I smile softly with a sigh of relief as the now lightened room reflected a small black box staring at me from the top of the dresser.  _Huh what do you know? I guess it wasn't a jewelry box._ Lifting the box carefully, I examined the exterior of the box closely. In thin intricate lettering, the black box read 'PROPERTY OF THE GREAT AND TERRIFYING PAPYRUS' in gold trim along the edge of the lid. "That's it. I-I found it." A grin crept up my face as excitement began to hit me. But soon washed away as Undyne's voice joined from behind me.   
  
"You fucking  _bitch._ So that's what you're after?" She growled as she stomped into her bedroom. Her claws dug into the hilt of her spear as she slowly rose the blade above her head, aimed straight for me. "I was wondering what caused a fucking human to sneak her way into my home. But to steal from me  _and_ sweet talk that  _fucking_ waste of air Sans to join you in your puny scheme?! You'll fucking  _pay_ , bitch!" And with that, her spear flew with intense speed. I barely even had a chance to duck to the floor before the tip of her spear nicked my shoulder. I suck in a harsh breath through my teeth as I crawled away from the pissed out fish lady. "oi, doll! what's taken ya so long? ya looking fer a fuckin' invitation?" Red's voice came from outside the window. "I-It's not like I can run passed her!" I shouted back, somehow rolling away from another spear to slice my leg. "just jump outa the fuckin' window!" He replied with a bored tone. I gasped, dodging yet another spear as it pierced the bed. "T-The window?" My eyes looked over the bed to drift to the single window in the room.  _There is no way I'm jumping out of a two story building!_ Although, I couldn't waste time pondering over my choices. "Quit dodging, you fucking brat!!" Undyne growled as she summoned five more red spears. "O-oh boy.." I gulped as I knew what was coming for me.   
  
In a rush, the five spears dashed for me the moment I sprang up from my hiding spot behind the bed.  _It's no use. I have to jump. Oh God, I just hope Red knows what he's doing.._ Holding Edge's black box close to my chest as I ducked once more from another impending blow to my head, I jump at the window; soon tumbling down from the second story before finding myself in an unexpected warmth of boney arms wrapped around me. "heh. 've got to get use to catching damsels in distress~." Red's voice spoke with a purr, tightening his hold on me. "Will you quit flirting with me and get me out of here?!" I shouted back at him, only earning myself a cheeky snicker from the drooling skeleton. "calm your soft tits, doll. we're already here. see?" He nodded his head back a bit. "H-Huh?" Confused, I followed his gaze to see that, indeed, we were standing in front of the skeleton house in Snowdin. "H-How?" My voice squeaked in disbelief as Red barked in laughter. "pfft hah! ya should see yer fuckin' face, doll! haha! wha? never thought i'd use my magic fer saving yer sweet sweet ass?"  _So he **can** use teleportation like Geno! Does that mean every Sans I meet will use teleportation too?_ My thoughts would have droned on, if I hadn't felt a certain skeleton pinch my butt with his boney fingers. Yelping in surprise, I jump out of his embrace only to smack him with my hand. He, though, only kneeled over with his grin growing as he laughed. "worth it."    
  
"SANS!" Edge's loud voice growled from above us. Looking up at the taller skeleton, we noticed he had opened the front door, dressed with a frilly yellow apron nestling above his chest plate as if it were a medal of honor for the guardsman. "y-yo, boss.." Red waved his hand lowly as his sweat drops increased on his skull. "DON'T 'YO' ME. YOU'RE LATE! WHAT THE FUCK TOOK YOU SO LONG?" Edge demanded with his arms crossed over his chest. "c-chill, boss! you know how undyne is with humans.." Red spoke, only to get interrupted by his younger brother. "DON'T WASTE MY TIME WITH EXCUSES! THIS IS WHY I KEEP TELLING YOU TO GET STRONGER, YOU WASTE OF SPACE! IT WAS A SIMPLE FUCKING TASK! A FUCKING MONKEY COULD DO IT!" I gulped as I stood in between them. "W-wait! Please, don't be mad at him. I-It's my fault. I-I took too much time trying to find your box." The cruel version of Papyrus glared at me before he backhanded me across my face, pushing me away from standing in between them. "WAS I TALKING TO YOU, HUMAN BITCH? UGH! JUST BE THANKFUL I'M BEING GENTLE ON YOU FOR RETRIEVING MY PROPERTY.... YOU  _DID_ BRING IT BACK, YES?" I nodded my head, holding the black box up with one hand as I shock in fear. My cheek burned from the sting of his hand.  _Thank God he wasn't wearing spikes on his gloves... owww._   
  
Grinning with a proud smirk on his teeth, Edge snatched the black box from my fingers and held the front door open for me and Red. "GET IN. NOW." He ordered before walking into the home. Red grumbled below his breath as he pulled me up with an extended hand. "you okay, doll?" I nodded lightly as I replied, "Y-yeah.." He growled as he pulled away, "why the fuck did you do that?" "Do what?" I asked. "don' be cute. you know damn well 'what'. why the fuck did you stand up fer me?  _no one_ fuckin' stands up fer me!" He roared at me, sweating a bit more. "I couldn't just let him hurt his brother, Red. Besides, after all you did to help me out, it's only expected for me to return the favor." My words came as a shock to him, considering the fact that once I had spoke my honest feelings on the situation, his skull started blushing with a deep crimson; increasing the sweat on his forehead to drizzle down his skull. I smiled softly at this reaction before we both gasped in surprise from the loud banging of pots and pans coming from the open door way. "GET YOUR FUCKING ASSES IN HERE RIGHT NOW! AND CLOSE THE DAMN DOOR! I'M FREEZING MY BONES OFF!"   
  
Stepping inside to the kitchen, I watched as Edge carefully sat his precious black box onto the counter. After a small ding came from the oven. "SIT DOWN." Edge commanded while he grabbed two oven mitts for his large hands. Feeling Red's hand tug on my sleeve lightly, I followed the shorter skeleton to the table, sitting next to him quietly as he pushed a chair aside for me with his foot. Both of us sat quietly as we watched Red's brother leaned down to grab what ever was baking in the oven. Based on the smell, I assumed it was some kind of Italian dish. My guess was correct, it seems. Because after he checked on the dish, Edge retrieved the thick dish out from the oven before setting it gently on the stove and flicking the temperature switch to off. With a smirk, the taller skeleton then removed the dish's lid to reveal a steaming hot display of lasagna; freshly made and ready to be devoured. That is, until he grabbed the black box Red and I had worked so hard to grasp. Opening the lid, inside nestled in a clean alphabetical order, were a small set of spices. "are ya fuckin' kiddin' me, boss?! ya set us off into that fuckin' bitches stink hole fer yer fuckin'  _spices_ ?! doll could've gotten killed!" Red yelled, slamming his hand against the table. "DON'T BITCH AT ME, SANS! I DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS IF SHE DIES! SHE'S A HUMAN, ANYWAY. WHY THE FUCK DO YOU CARE?!" His brother bounced back as he grabbed one of the spices from the black box. "AH, THAT'S RIGHT. I KNOW WHY YOU'RE PRETENDING TO CARE FOR THE LITTLE SHIT. IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR FUCKING  _FETISH_ . UGH! HONESTLY. YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE BONE LOOSE IN THAT EMPTY SKULL OF YOURS, BROTHER." Edge taunted Red while sprinkling some kind of spice on top of the lasagna.   
  
_I can understand Red's concern for my safety, but is Edge saying the truth? Red has some kind of...human fetish? R-really?_ In hopes of distracting my mind from the obvious, I lean over a bit from the table to catch a glimpse of the spice Edge held in his hand. Though, it was a bit difficult to tell if it read 'Oregano' or not. "Uh forgive me for interrupting, but what exactly is that you're adding?" I asked softly. Both boys quit griping at each other to look at me. Replying with a proud grin, Edge answered, "IRON SHAVINGS, OF COURSE." My eyes grew wide as my blood drained from my face. "I-Iron......shavings?" The moisture in my mouth dried instantly by the words. "uh boss.. don't really think humans  _can_ eat iron shavings.." Red spoke with a carefully hushed tone. Edge blinked a few times, looking from his lasagna before looking back at me. With a click of his tongue (wait,  _does_ he have a tongue?), Edge cut a slice of the Italian dish and placed it on a plate before sliding it to me. "SHUT UP AND EAT." Red and I shared a painful look before I reluctantly took a bite of the lasagna with my fork. Luckily, Edge had given me a slice with barely any iron shavings on it. The taste was still edible enough. It was just the after taste of iron in the back of my throat that made me a little dizzy.  _I hope I'm not going to get sick from this..._ "'ere, doll." I blinked as I noticed a glass of ice water placed in front of me by Red.    
  
It was such a kind gesture of him. He must have been wanting to apologize, in his own way, for the iron shavings. I smiled softly as I took a deep sip of the drink. "WELL?" Edge asked, tapping his foot impatiently. I looked over at Red, who I noticed was sweating again, before I took a deep breath and smiled at Edge. "It's delicious. You're quite the culinary artist, Edge." He grinned widely at my comment before he raised an eye brow-bone (???????) in a reply, "EDGE?" I blinked and chuckled nervously, "H-heh yeah. It's just...w-well when I first saw you...Y-you had such a-an...edge to your words? I-I mean uh e-even your clothes is so sharp and strong looking and....are you blushing?" My words started off completely nervous but subsided as I noticed an orange-red hue radiating off of Edge's cheek bones. "WHAT?! NO! OF COURSE NOT! SHUT YOUR FUCKING FLATTERY, HUMAN TEMPTRESS! YOUR WORDS MEAN NOTHING TO THE GREAT AND TERRIFYING PAPYRUS! NYAHAHAH!" A smile formed on my face as my curiosity was proven right. The edgy version of Papyrus was in deed flustered by my flattery.  _Hehe. Not so different from Papy, are ya?_ "hate to break it to ya, boss. but ya do realize undyne is probably on her way to asgore, right? my doll is gonna get killed and then y'll never have anyone else to shower ya with flattery on yer cookin'."   
  
Silence loomed between the three of us before Edge slammed his fist into the table, making me jump in fear as he reached over and grabbed Red by his collar. " _YOUR_ FUCKING HUMAN? I DON'T RECALL LEAVING HER ALIVE FOR YOU, SANS! DID YOU THINK I'D JUST HAND HER OVER TO YOU AS A FUCKING PRIZE FOR YOUR MISSION AT UNDYNE'S?!" My heart beat skipped at the scene before me. Everything happened so fast. Was Edge going to hit his brother again? Should I intervene?  _Wait...what...did Red mean by...…..oh God..No.._ I knew  _exactly_ why Red said that.  _Our wager_ . He stayed true to his end of the deal. I screwed up on mine. Looking back to the wound on my shoulder, I grimace with a pale realization.  _I-I'm....Red's....pet..._


End file.
